Harry Potter: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe
by Xero Mind
Summary: Alone, injured, and surrounded by monsters, Neville and Cho must find a way back to Hogwarts to warn of terrible things that are about to occur, but first they must face challenges and try to survive the odds stacked against them. Completed
1. Beyond the Wardrobe

Note to All: This is Book Three. 

1. Harry Potter: Ignorance is Bliss

2. Harry Potter: Everything Falls Apart

I won't stop you from reading this, but you may get confused as to what's been happening so far. So read the others, if you want. Also, this story mainly revolves around Neville and Cho, even though the title says Harry Potter.

XXX

Harry Potter: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 

**Chapter One**

**Beyond the Wardrobe**

He heard sobbing. Then he heard cursing.

"Shut your crying, damn you." Someone hissed angrily.

The voice was low and gravelly; it sent a shiver of recognition through Neville, he tried grasping for the memory but it was elusive. Suddenly his memories came rushing back, the fight, the flight, Cho, the wardrobe, and then the grinding pain in his hands. The voice was suddenly familiar. It was the Bodiless Man. Neville's eyes snapped open and he saw a darkened face leaning over him. He felt something wet hit his face.

Neville jerked back, trying to scramble away, fear giving him speed, and his hands going for his pockets to grab his wand. He stopped as he saw Cho staring wide eye at him. He realized she had been leaning over him, her eyes still wet from crying. He then realized he didn't have a wand. Where did it go? He couldn't remember.

"Cho? What's going on?" Neville asked, his voice hoarse and low. His head was beginning to pound. He blinked away the pain, trying to concentrate on his surroundings. He looked around, seeing a simple room, dimly lit and made of stone. He looked up and saw a high, high ceiling, so high that he could not see the ceiling for it ended in darkness, seeming extending forever upward. They were in a tower, so it seemed, a small slit of a window nearly twenty feet above, sending in a small stream of light. It was the only light lighting the room.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake, Neville." Cho said, relief heavily in her voice. "For a moment I thought you weren't going to make it."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"You fell. Hit your head, hard. And then you stopped breathing." Cho said slowly.

Neville stared at her, suddenly the pain in his head renewed, sending white spots across his vision. He reached up experimentally and touched the left side of his head, belatedly hearing Cho yell for him to stop. Pain suddenly exploded and the world turned black and white with agony. Neville groaned and doubled over, nearly retching with the pain. Cho was suddenly at his side, gripping his shoulders and steadying him.

He gasped, tasting blood and bile. He looked down at his hand and saw it smeared with blood.

"Lay down." Cho said.

"My head." Neville groaned. "What happened?"

"Why are your robes so dirty?" Cho asked, shaking her head. Neville remembered crouching behind a tree on the lawns. Everyone it seemed was commenting on the state of his robes. He heard cloth tearing and tried to get up and see what was happening. Cho's hand held him down and a wave of dizziness sent him laying back. "Be still, Neville." She said, the sound of cloth tearing continuing.

"What are you doing?" Neville asked groggily. He suddenly felt weary, as if the energy was being drained from him. He closed his eyes for a moment, he needed rest. Sleep would make everything better.

"Don't you go to sleep on me, Neville." Cho suddenly said sternly. He felt her shaking his arm, the movement sending waves of pain piercing his head.

"I think...I think I'm gonna-" Neville suddenly turned over and began retching. "I-I'm s-sorry." Neville gasped moments later, his headache suddenly redoubled. It pushed away the feeling of embarrassment and horror he was feeling.

Cho nodded, wrinkling her nose. "Don't worry. That's expected. You have a concussion. You may be doing that for a couple of days, if you don't get treated." Cho explained calmly. She pulled out a wand and pointed to the mess. A moment later it was gone.

"There's a lot of blood. Hold on." Cho pointed her wand at his head. For a moment Neville felt an unreasonable fear, he tried to pull back but there was no where to go. Cho muttered something and pain suddenly flared in Neville's mind. "I'm sorry." Cho said a roll of black cloth in her hands. 'It's the only cleansing spell I know. Its rough, but its effective." She began tightening the black cloth around his head; Neville realized it was a piece of her robes. After a pause, she began wrapping his fingers up in cloth also. Carefully making sure as not to shift them too much, Neville winced in pain through the whole experience, but he didn't cry out.

The makeshift bandages hurt, but after a moment Neville felt the pain begin to subside. It wasn't gone, the monster headache was still there, but it was a deep throbbing pain, one he could handle. His fingers felt the same way, as long as he didn't move them or jab them against something it would be fine.

"Just lay still and don't try to move around, get up, or sleep." Cho cautioned. She sat back upon her heels, staring down at him.

Neville felt a momentary surge of embarrassment as he realized how pretty she looked. Her hair was disheveled and her robes were dusty and rumpled, but still she looked very pretty. Neville closed his eyes, receiving a jab from Cho. "Where are we?" He asked, trying to keep his eyes open.

"I don't know." Cho responded. Uncertainty filled her voice. Neville looked around and saw the Bodiless Man sitting not far away, watching them.

'Hey, girl." The man said. "You know healing, fix my damned leg."

Cho turned toward him, her face set angrily. The light fell upon her face and Neville saw a dark spot upon her cheek, the beginnings of a very bad bruise. "Fix your own damn leg." She snapped.

"Give me that damned wand and I'll do it. I'll fix your boyfriend's hurt head, maybe even that bruise on your cheek." The man said, he grinned disarmingly.

Neville gripped Cho's arm. "Don't. He'll just use it against us." Cho nodded and stared at the man.

"You're not in a position to demand anything." Cho said coldly.

The man was quiet for a while, staring at them. "I could kill you in a minute." He said suddenly, his voice going hard and flat. "You and your little boyfriend." Then he began laughing. Neville felt Cho shudder in horror under his hand. He felt the same way.


	2. So, What Now?

_What? No reviews!!!!_

_Sobbbbb......_

_Aw, well. The story continues and my fingers dance upon the keyboards. It's such a bright and sunny day, perfect writing weather._

XXX

**Chapter Two**

**So, What Now?**

Beyond the threats spoken by the Bodiless Man and a few grunts of pain from Neville, it was utterly silent in the Tower. Neville was laying on the floor, looking miserable and sick, the Bodiless Man had pushed himself into a sitting position and alternated between glaring at Cho and Neville to staring blankly at the walls of the Tower and Cho...

Cho was sitting in the corner, her hands wrapped around her knees and trying hard to hold back the wave of depression and tears. What had happened? Why was she here? She didn't belong here. This was some kind of mistake! Cho shook her head, she should not have followed Neville. This was his fault. He had dragged her into this situation, catching her up in something he was involved in.

No. Cho sighed, burying her head into her arms. Neville hadn't dragged her along. She had ran after him, after seeing the Bodiless Man running down the stairs. There had been something in the man's face, the pure anger, rage, and hate that had sent a wave of animal fear coursing through her. It had been almost instinct to run after Neville, to run away from the Bodiless Man.

Cho looked down at Neville, for the moment he had his eyes closed. She didn't know how much pain he was in. A concussion was a pretty bad thing, the fall he had taken had been terrible to witness. Luckily she had managed to escape relatively unscathed, beside bashing her knee upon the stone flooring and getting punched by Bloated Arm, she was fine. Neville on the other hand had, from what she could tell, had suffered three broken fingers, along with his head injury. He hadn't said anything about what happened when she had been tossed in the Wardrobe, but she knew that the three broken fingers were not caused by the fall.

"So, what do we do now?" Neville asked, his voice low with an undertone of pain to it.

Why was he asking her? Cho felt another surge of panic. She realized that she was the only one of the three that was relatively undamaged. Neville was in no condition to do much of anything and getting over smashing your head against the stone floor was not something that could be done in mere hours. As for the glaring Bodiless Man, whoever he was and whatever he was, Cho knew he could not be trusted. There was still a little fear in Neville's eyes as he shot a quick glance toward the man.

Cho would have to ask him what was going on. Neville had to be running from him for some reason. Who was the Bodiless Man? She had never seen his face before, the thought that he was probably using the invisible clothing he now wore to sneak around Hogwarts sent a chill down Cho's spine. What was going on?

"I..I don't know." Cho whispered back. She glanced around the Tower. There was no door. There was no way out. The only place where light came into the room was the narrow slit window nearly twenty feet above them. Cho doubted that she could climb up to it, the walls were smooth fitted stone with no way to gain a foot or hand hold on them.

Cho scanned the walls. She had her wand; luckily she had remembered to bring it when she was leaving the Ravenclaw Tower. Maybe there was a way to break apart the stone bricks, make a hole in the wall? Something. Cho concentrated trying hard to remember any spell that could break down walls, she knew of none.

"We have to get out of here." Neville said softly. Cho only nodded back. Unless he could tear down walls, they were stuck here.

"There's no getting out." The Bodiless Man suddenly spoke. He looked at Cho and Neville, his expression grim and angry. "We're in the Dark." He said.

Cho glanced to Neville. He shrugged minutely and then winced from the pain.

"What do...What do you mean?" Cho asked, after a moment's hesitation.

The man laughed bitterly, then suddenly hissed in pain. "We're trapped in this place. There's no way out and we're all dead." He said, his voice strained with pain.

Cho frowned. "What do you know?" She snapped.

The man laughed again. "I know that we're all dead." He said, snarling.

"What do you mean by we're in the Dark?" Neville asked.

The man looked at Neville, as if seeing him for the first time, a flash of anger and rage crossed his face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "It's where He sends people. People who he doesn't like." The man said..

"Who's He?" Cho asked. What games was this man playing? The Dark? Was it an attempt to scare them? To what purpose?

The Bodiless Man looked at them and then sneered. "Fix my leg and I'll tell you." He said.

"Tell us, then we'll think about fixing your leg." Cho said hotly. She was getting tired of this. What was she caught up in? All she had been doing was going to get some breakfast and put in a couple of hours of studying! She didn't want to be here. She dint' want to caught up in whatever mess Neville and this man were in. All she wanted was to be back in her house and out of this damned tower. "What the hell is going on here? Why were you chasing Neville and why are you invisible! And what the hell is the Dark? Tell us what you know about it!"

The man continued staring at her, Cho glared back at him. Finally he barked out a laugh. "You have a temper, girl. That's good, it's better than your sobbing." He laughed again and Cho only glared at him harder.

"Tell us what you know?" Cho demanded.

"Knowledge has its price." The man said. "Fix my leg and we'll see what I remember."

Cho sighed, suddenly feeling her anger drain away. She leaned back against the stone wall and brushed back a strand of hair. She felt tired, her cheek was starting to throb and she could feel it swelling. She knew in a couple of fours she would be sporting a very ugly bruise; one didn't play Quidditch for years without learning a lot about bruising. "You think I know how to fix your leg? If I know how to heal bones, don't you think I'd have fixed Neville's fingers?"

Neville looked at her, wincing slightly as she spoke. Cho suddenly realized what she had done. She had just given away the only thing they could hold over the Bodiless Man. He was injured, that was obvious from his voice and the fact that he had barely moved in the time they had been in the Tower. Cho sighed, realizing that she would have to begin learning how to take advantage of a situation. The man knew information and she had the power to take the pain he was feeling away.

She tapped her wand against her palm, looking at the man. She was the only one with a wand. Neville had lost his somewhere; she had seen the man drop his before falling into the Wardrobe. She was the only one with magic. She nodded to herself. That was an advantage she held over the man, who cares if she didn't know how to heal his bones. If he knew how to heal bone, then he could bloody well tell her how to do it. She glared at the man and continued to tap her wand. The man was frowning, probably realizing the same thing.

"Cho, look." Neville said, pointing.

Cho looked to where he was pointing and saw a large iron door where moments ago it had been nothing but blank wall. Cho smiled. Maybe they weren't trapped here after all.


	3. Beyond The Iron Door

_Sweet! Two reviews (it takes so little to make me happy)! Now back to the story:_

XXX 

**Chapter Three**

**Beyond The Iron Door**

Cho got up and walked to the door.

"Don't open it." The Bodiless Man cautioned. Cho spared him a glare, but he did actually look scared so she paused for a moment.

The door as she could see was solid metal. Heavy hinges held it to the stone, there was a single handle, and a thick stubby iron bar on a hinge that could be shoved into a slot to lock the door. Simple and sturdy. Cho glanced back at Neville who had gotten to his elbows and was watching her.

"I think we should wait." Neville said, he shot a quick glance at the man.

"Wait for what?" She asked. The only way there were getting out of here was by themselves. Unless Dumbledore or someone else knew where they were. Maybe it was best to sit quiet for a moment. Wait and see how things pan out before charging off into something that could be dangerous for herself and for Neville.

Neville was quiet for a moment and then shrugged. "Be careful." He said, slowly getting into a sitting position.

"You shouldn't be trying to exert yourself." Cho cautioned. She nearly winced watching him. She knew how it felt to have a concussion, years in Quidditch tended to cause all sorts of injuries, and Neville was either plain stupid, had a high tolerance for pain, or was acting foolishly stubborn. But for some reason it gave her a surge of determination, if Neville could ignore the pain of his injuries, then she could at least push away the fear.

If there was a way out of this place, then she could get him to a real healer. Then everything would be alright. Cho squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Be careful." She said to him, grinning slightly as she realized she had echoed his words.

"I'm just sitting up. Its no big deal." Neville replied, his voice strained, but he returned her grin.

'Aw, isn't this a cute sight." Snarled the Man. He glared at Neville. "This is your fault, boy. You brought us here."

Neville just stared back at the man, after a moment Neville looked away.

Cho turned to the man. "Why don't you just shut up! You're know where we are, but you're the one not offering any suggestions as to how to get the hell out of here. So just shut up!" She snapped.

The man laughed. "Your funeral kid." He said, a smug look on his face.

Cho continued to glare at him, feeling her face burn with anger. "If there's something dangerous out there. You're the one who won't be able to run away." Cho said, relishing the words. The man stopped looking smug and looked a little scared, which didn't help Cho as she turned to the door. What if there really was something dangerous out there? She clenched her wand in her hands and took a deep breath.

She reached out and pulled the door. It opened smoothly and quietly, revealing a long, dark, and empty hall. Cho glanced back at Neville who was craning his neck to see what lay outside the door.

"It's just a hall." She said, raising her wand. "Lumos." The light flashed from the tip of her wand and flooded the dark hall with white light. Cho quickly looked at her surroundings. Smooth gray tiled flooring, the same smooth stone bricks in the walls, and the ceiling that seemed to extend forever overhead.

Cho felt a building fear as she looked up. How far did it go up? Anything could be hiding in the darkness of the ceiling. Taking another deep breath and taking another quick glance back into the Tower Cho headed into the hall. Her footsteps echoed upon the smooth tiles, echoing strangely down the hall. She could hear her breathing, heavy and labored in her ears, the sound of her robes rustling.

The darkness seemed to be crowding her. It seemed to drink up the light from her wand, leaving only a small pool of light around her and seeming to make the entire hall seem to be nothing but infinite darkness. Cho closed her eyes for a moment, fighting down the urge to flee and forcing herself to take a step forward. They needed to get out of here.

She place a hand upon the wall of the hall, there was no infinite darkness, only a dark hall. There was nothing to fear, it was only lack of light. Cho grinned momentarily, she had given up begin afraid of the dark when she was a kid and now wasn't the best time to try and relearn that old fear.

She didn't know how far she had walked. It had been one step at a time, forcing each foot to move and then the next. Cho looked back, the outline of the door was visible behind her, light a rectangle of light in the black of the hall. It was smaller and looked to be distant. Cho looked forward and saw only darkness. How long did the hall extend?

After a few more steps she saw another door. Sighting with relief, she quickly moved to it, grabbing the latch and pulling it open.

Light, white and blinding seared her eyes. She let out a cry of surprised, clamping her hands over her eyes. What was this? She then felt a wave of moist heat, it sent shivers across her skin. She hadn't realized how cold the hall had been, until the hot air touched her skin.

Cho began blinking rapidly, spots of light still flashing in her eyes. It would take a moment for her eyes to adjust to the suddenly brilliance beyond the door.

That's when she heard the snarl and the suddenly scraping of claws upon tile. Cho squinted into the room and saw...something moving, quickly and in her direction. Cho began screaming.

XXX 

Well, you read the chapter (hopefully), what do y'think? What will Cho do? What's gonna happen next? The Plot thickens and our Heroes face new challenges.

Introducing the **Response Section**. Mainly because I feel like it.

_Stroppy-Teenager: Cool, I perked your interest. All I have to say is things will be revealed, later. Maybe in the next story, maybe in the one after that (Oh, there will be more! SERIES!!! insert knowing laugh). But all the threads I'm weaving go together ... somehow ... I'm still trying to figure that one out too._

_DarkLordLongbottom: What's Ex. mean? For example or except? Wait a minute while I read bio... What?! You don't like the HG/HP shipping? I'm flabbergasted! But they're meant for each other! Her with her bossy, know-it-all attitude and He with his recklessly brave, short fused temper! So, I'm guessing Ex. means except. But as I've said before, "I have **Plans**", capital bold wording, relationships and otherwise. Thanks for reading previous stories, though, I grin with joy. _

_Until Next Chapter!_


	4. The Creature in the Room

One reviews, sweet! (insert dancing figure of me)... 

XXX

**Chapter Four**

**The Creature in the Room**

Cho's scream ended in a strangled choke as the horror of her situation struck her. Then she began fumbling for a defensive spell. In all this time the creature snarled and hissed, sharp fangs flashing in the blinding white light, long lines of saliva dripping down huge jaws, and wickedly sharp claws scraping against the marble tile. Then it charged.

Cho's mind suddenly cleared and she snapped her wand up. The thing was coming fast, long, ridiculously thin legs covering the distance across the room in almost blinding speed. It moved unnaturally, unlike any creature she had ever seen. Like a marionette being tugged by strings, it's movements jerky and too fast.

"Expelliarmus!" Cho shouted. The spell hit the creature squarely in the pug faced snout, staggering it for a second and then it continued on, albeit more disorientated and slower. Cho was already backing up, sending out a leg-locker curse upon the heels of the first spell. This one held and the creature crashed to the floor as it's legs suddenly stopped moving. She had already turned about and was running down the hall, she could hear the creature scrambling to it's feet. She had never seen anything so easily throw off spells. The thought only pushed her along faster.

She stumbled along the hall, it had seemed straight and wide before, but now it seemed as if the walls were closing in, the hall itself twisting, and the door moving farther and farther away. The creature was coming fast, she could hear it's snarling, it's rasping claws, and her own screaming fear that flooded her body. Shoving herself once again off the wall Cho made it three steps before her legs were suddenly yanked out of under her.

With a grunt of pain, Cho landed upon her front, elbows breaking her fall. For a moment she was disorientated, the pain along her arms pushing back everything. Then she heard the hissing snarl and suddenly felt a great weight upon her back.

The pain was sudden and intense. She let out a gasp of breath as the weight of the creature pushed the air out of her lungs and then she let out a strangled scream. She looked about, but could not find her wand. At that moment she knew it was all over, that this was the end.

Then she heard screaming. Not her own voice, but the deeper voice of another person. As she feebly looked up she saw a figure running down the hall. Neville?

He brandish something, still yelling and then swinging as he got close to the creature. Cho screamed again as the creature shifted, it's sharp claws suddenly piercing through the thin fabric of her robes and into her skin. The pain was blinding and darkness filled her vision momentarily. The weight was suddenly gone and Cho nearly sobbed in relief. She scrambled to her knees, ignoring the stabbing pain that flared across her back, and stumbled around in the dark trying to find her wand.

Neville was still yelling but this time in fear. He gripped the long metal candlestick he had tossed into the Wardrobe in his hands and was trying to fend off the creature. His wild flailing managed to push the creature back, but then it snapped out an arm? leg? and it swept Neville to the floor.

Cho felt the familiar feel of her wand under her hands gripped it, spinning around and crying out a cruse. The creature was hit full on and it staggered back, it's long thin limbs suddenly going limp. It continued to hiss and snarl but it could not move. Instead it began to drag itself across the tiled floor, using its head and body to propel itself. Cho shuddered at the sight and ran to Neville's side. He was getting to his knees, still stubbornly clutching his candlestick weapon.

She grabbed his arm and draped it across her shoulder, hissing with pain as it sent a spasm of fire down her own back, she could feel a tickle of wetness. Cho cast another glance back at the creature, she saw it's limbs beginning to twitch; the curse was already wearing off.

"Come on." She grunted, bearing most of Neville's weight. He staggered along, the candlestick in one hand scraping across the tile. The sound of it sent made her shudder, like the sound of nails across a chalkboard, but she continued on. The sounds of movement behind them growing louder and the hissing snarling becoming more frantic. Cho didn't look back, instead she plowed forward, toward the room where they could be safe behind the iron door with its sturdy lock. The door which as she watched was beginning to close, the silhouetted face of the Bodiless Man visible in the fast closing gap.

"Damn you!" Cho cursed, she felt Neville beside her begin to increase his pace, gathering a last burst of energy from somewhere. Cho followed suit and aimed her wand at the door. "Expelliarmus!"

The door slammed open, she saw the head of the Bodiless Man suddenly fall back and moments later his deafening scream filled the Tower and the Hall, almost drowning out the roar of the creature and it's scrabbling claws upon the tiles as it gave chase as the spell upon it wore off. Cho and Neville crossed the threshold, Cho releasing Neville and grabbing for the door. She slammed it shut, shoving the iron bar into its slot just as a resounding thump smashed into the door. She felt the door shudder in it's frame, a small shower of pulverized stone raining down upon her. She staggered back from the door, feeling an immense surge of relief, then something tangled with her feet and she fell.

Pain exploded in her mind as her back hit the hard stone floor. For a moment there was just whiteness and a deafening roar of her own heartbeat, and then she heard screaming, realizing it was her own. It soon became a chorus as another voice joined hers, the Bodiless Man screamed as Cho fell upon his injured leg. The sudden weight grinding broken bone and sending a searing roar of pain across his body.

Cho rolled and moved off the leg of the Bodiless Man, his screams cutting off as the pain became too much and he blacked out. Cho groaned with the agony in her back and fell to the floor, lying upon her stomach and trying to gasp air down her tortured throat. Moments later the pain faded and with it darkness came.

_XXX_

_Hmmm...it looks like I have tapped into a Neville fan base. Cool._

**Response Time**

_**Stroppy-Teenager**: I'm partial to dramatic endings, as you can see above. As for the Ships, it's too early to tell, but I have my favorites, we'll see if it comes to pass, if not aw, well._

_**Until Next Chapter! **_


	5. While You Were Sleeping

**Chapter Five**

**While You Were Sleeping**

Cho clenched her eyes and stopped herself before she could let out a cry of pain. She took a shuddering breath and grabbed Neville's hand. "Not so tight." She said through gritted teeth.

Neville's already pink face turned even redder. "I-I'm sorry." He stammered, his hands shaking as he began to loosen the bandages he was tying off.

"Not too loose either.' Cho said with a slight tone of exasperation. Neville nodded again, turning even redder, and finished tightening the bandages. Cho sighed and pulled down her robes, covering her exposed back. Neville leaned against the wall, still red faced, but now looking exhausted and in pain.

Cho felt a moment of pity as she realized that he had been using his injured hand to tie off the bandages. She was too tired to feel anything deeper, exhaustion tugged at the edge of her consciousness, but try as she might it just taunted her with the promise of sleep.

She leaned forward, setting her elbows upon her knees as she sat on the floor, feeling a draft of cold air run up her back. She shivered slightly. Neville surprisingly was skilled with tailoring. He had managed to cut off the sleeves of his robes, clean them and used them to bandage the cuts upon her back. The shredded cloth on her back had also been cleaned and repaired as much as possible, Neville making a flap in the back of her robes so he could get to the cuts and bandage them. It was also the reason Neville was pink face, stammering, and embarrassed. Cho would have found it amusing, if she hadn't been so tired and in so much pain. But at least her cuts had been bandaged and he bleeding stopped.

The cuts themselves were not deep, flesh wounds that sent waves of pain across her when touched. Neville had been as gentle as he could, but he lacked experience in how to do it. So between waves of pain and Neville's nervousness it had been a trying few minutes for Cho. Now she sat there, the aching pain in her back and the day's events sending another shiver of fear through her.

She was beginning to realize how close she had come to being killed by the monster. If it hadn't been for Neville's timely rescue, she probably would have ended up as nothing more than shreds of flesh in the Hall. She looked to Neville, he leaned against the wall, eyes closed, face looking even paler, and his damaged hand clutched to his chest. She moved toward him.

"How are you?" She asked. He was looking too pale, his eyes were red rimmed, and his hands still shaking slightly. Cho pushed down the fear, Neville needed to be seen by a healer. The strain of the day's events had pushed hard. The concussion, broken hand, the fighting off of the creature. He should have been resting and healing, not fighting off a monster. Cho ran a hand through her hair. They all needed to be seen by a healer, but there was no way out of here unless it was through the creature that still occasionally scratched at the door.

Neville blinked, looking for a moment surprised at her concern. "I'm fine." He said, softly. "I'm just a little tired." He added, closing his eyes for a moment.

"You should sleep." Cho said.

"I thought you said I wasn't supposed to."

"I think it's okay now, after all it seemed we all passed out after the commotion in the Hall." Cho said, trying to smile.

Neville nodded wearily. "Okay, I think I'll just lay down for a while." He shifted and lay on his side, his eyes closing and immediately his breathing becoming regular. Cho sighed, wishing that she could sleep.

"Girl." The Bodiless Man hissed. Cho looked at him, hardening her face and glaring. It almost faltered as she took a good look at him. His face was a shallow pallor, his hair slicked with sweat, and his eyes bloodshot. He looked ready to collapse and in a lot of pain. Cho felt a moment of satisfaction; it was his fault they were here. He had also almost locked them out of the Tower, with the monster on their heels. She felt a surge of rage.

"What do you want?" Cho snapped.

"Heal me. Please." There was desperation in his voice. He looked at her pleadingly, tears almost in his eyes. Cho realized that he had gotten no treatment for his injuries. His getting up and trying to close the door, to her falling upon his injured leg seemed to have caused more harm to him. He looked ill and he looked very desperate.

Cho took a deep breath, her rage suddenly flowing away. "I don't know how." She responded.

"I can teach you." The man said, there really was desperation in his voice along with pain barely held at bay.

Cho looked to Neville. He could teach her how to heal his finger, the wound to his head, and maybe even the concussion, along with the cuts on her back. Cho winced as she moved.

"Tell me how."

XXX

"What is your name?" The Man asked. He grunted in pain as Cho pulled off the invisible cloth from his leg. Cho looked at the leg and felt her gorge rise. His leg had been broken in two places, the near the ankle and near the knee. She didn't know how that happen and the man seemed not to know either. The skin was badly bruised, a deep almost black color.

"Cho Chang." Cho responded, wiping her hands upon her robes. She looked up at the man, he was younger than she had assumed. Maybe in his early twenties, bright blue eyes, and sandy colored hair that fell to his shoulders. He smiled at her, his teeth very white and very straight, Cho frowned back at him. Did he actually think he could befriend her, after threatening to kill them and then trying to lock them out of the Tower?

"I'm Damon." He said, still smiling. Cho nodded, glancing back at the foot.

"Well, Damon." She said his name with scorn, but he still continued to smile. "Here's how we're going to do this. You're going to spill your guts, then you're gonna tell me how to heal our cuts, burses, and injuries, then you're going to tell me how to heal your damned leg, then we'll see if I can do that."

That made him stop smiling. "I don't know how to heal your boyfriend's concussions. Cuts, bruises, broken bones. They're all I know how to do." He said.

Cho ignored his jibe and continued to look at his feet. She had thought he had been wearing and invisible cloak, like the one Neville had had in his hand before they plunged into the Wardrobe. But from what she could tell, its was an invisible set of clothing. She didn't know if they were made that way or made out of other invisible cloaks. It didn't really matter.

"Take off you gloves." Cho said, as she pulled off the cloth from his other foot. Damon looked at her in puzzlement but did as she told him to do.

'Why?" He asked, handing her the cloth.

Cho took the bundle of cloth from him and stuffed them into her pocket. "So we can see your hands and feet." She said simply. Damon frowned deeper and Cho saw a flash of anger in his eyes. "Don't act outraged. You're sneak and a cowardly fool." She hissed, feeling her anger coming back. "You threaten us, you nearly let us die, and now I'm doing you a favor. So you'd better spill what you know, or we'll see which the monster out there likes. Us who'll be running or you who'll be lying here as bait."

The anger in her voice even shocked her. But the man drained of color and glanced to the door. Cho realized he was more afraid of what lay outside than anything she could do to him. She filed that thought away.

"Now." She said, regaining her composure. "Tell me what you know."

XXX

Response Time 

_**DarkLordLongbottom**: Wand's gone, man. Lost it in Hiding Places, when Neville got pulled into the Wardrobe. As for Cho, I don't think she's up to torture just yet, but desperate times call for desperate measures, as you can seee_....

Until Next Chapter! 


	6. Healing

Hmmm…. I guess I should read the FanFic main page every now and then. Didn't know there was gonna be an outage. Aw, well. Didn't have time to write during the weekend anyway. But here it is, the newest chapter! Enjoy and….Enjoy.

_XXX_

**Chapter Six**

Healing 

"Neville." The voice was soft, a whisper along the edges of his consciousness. The darkness was complete and Neville ignored the voice. The darkness was warm, it was comforting, he did not want to leave it.

"Neville." The voice continued, more insistent, there was an underlying urgency to it. This gave Neville pause. The voice, it sounded familiar. He tried to remember who it was but his worry was already beginning to fade. The darkness was enveloping him and he let it come.

"Neville!" The voice was now harsh and panicked. Pain flared and Neville's eyes snapped open, the light in the room was dim but still too bright for his eyes.

He flinched back, blinking rapidly. His senses came back to him, the pain pounding gin his skull, the dull throb in his broken finger, the ache of muscles and bones that had been abused. It was like a dull roar of noise, persistent and unidentifiable.

"Are you okay?" Cho asked, worry in her voice.

Neville took a moment to try and regain his thoughts. They were still in the Tower, Cho looked worst for wear, her black hair disheveled and tied into a hasty ponytail, her features were strained, her eyes shot with red and the air of weariness surrounding her. Neville noticed the bruise on her cheek seemed to be swelling and growing darker. He reached out and touched the skin around it, it was hot on the tips of his fingers.

Cho jerked back and Neville suddenly realized what he had done. He glanced away, feeling his embarrassment burn in his face. "I'm fine." He managed after a long silence. Cho only nodded.

"I need your help." She said, her voice low. She shot a just glance toward the Bodiless Man who was still propped up against the wall. But now Neville could see his feet and his hands. He looked at Neville, his blue eyes dimmed with pain and his skin taunt and shallow.

"What's going on?" Neville asked, sitting up. He felt a wave of disorientation and his head began pounding harder. He closed his eyes, a hand against the smooth wall for support.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cho asked.

"I'm fine." Neville insisted. He pushed aside the disorientation and sickening feeling that was beginning to fill him. "What's going on?" He asked again.

"I think I can heal your fingers and the wound on your head." Cho said quickly.

"How?" Neville asked.

"Damon's been teaching me how to do it. He knows the basics in healing, repairing bones and patching up cuts and things like that. He says I've got the spell right, but now I have to test it. Make sure he wasn't just mocking me." Cho said quickly and quietly.

"Damon?" Neville asked confused.

"The Bodiless Man." Cho explained, she shot another glance toward him. He grinned weakly at the two, his hand moving in a short wave of hello.

Neville looked back to Cho. What had she been doing? He shook his head. How long had be been asleep? "Are you sure?" He asked.

Cho looked uncertain for a moment, but then it vanished, replaced by determination. "Yes…I think." She said.

Neville felt like laughing, but he didn't. Instead he looked at her serious expression and nodded. The pain in his hand and head seemed to redouble, as if they were realizing that they would be healed and were trying to get the most of their time left. Neville suppressed a groan. "I guess that makes me your guinea pig." He said, with a small strained smile.

Cho didn't smile, noticing his pained look. She extended her hand for him. Neville hesitated for a moment and put forward his bandaged hand. He felt a dull throb of pain as he moved it and tried not to wince as he settled it upon Cho's hand. She looked down at it, frowning slightly and began unwrapping the makeshift bandages.

Neville winced and closed his eyes against the pain. "I'm sorry." Cho said, removing the bandages more slowly.

"No. No. It's okay." Neville said opening his eyes. He grinned weakly. "You don't have to be sorry about anything."

Cho ducked her head for a moment and Neville saw tears sparkling in her eyes. "I keep thinking this is a bad dream or something. That I'll just wake up in my bed and everything will be alright." She whispered.

Neville nodded. He hesitated for a moment and then set his good hand upon Cho's shoulder. He felt her barely contained sobs. "Everything'll be okay. By now they'll have found out what happen and they'll be looking for us." Neville said reassuringly. "The door will hold the creature back and Dumbledore or one of the professors will come and get us. There's nothing to worry about."

Cho smiled weakly, wiping her eyes. "I hope so." But Neville could hear an undertone of doubt in her voice. He didn't say anything, but was feeling the same way. Ginny had been knocked out, he had seen no one in his running down the corridors and the stairs beyond Cho. For all he knew no one even knew they were gone.

Even if no one knew that he was gone, someone would realize that Cho was missing. Wouldn't they? Neville looked up to the narrow window slit. The light still came in the same way it did when they first arrived. Surely several hours should have passed.

Cho took a deep breath and quickly wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said. 'I'm sorry to just start crying like this."

Neville nodded. "It's okay."

Cho smiled briefly. "I guess everyone in the castle knows I have a tendency to cry." She said, laughing hollowly.

Neville didn't respond. The thought had crossed his mind, but then again he could understand. She had lost someone close to her, just as Harry had. Her reaction was normal, while Harry's bordered on self-destruction. "There's nothing to be sorry about." Neville said. 'If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry. It was me who dragged you along to this place. If I hadn't run into you, then you wouldn't have to be here." Neville looked around the room and settled upon Cho. "Stuck in this place and hurt." He finished, shaking his head.

Cho took a steadying breath. "Thanks." She said with a small smile. She continued to remove the bandages, going slow and steady, though Neville still winced slightly at the pain. After several minutes she removed the last piece of cloth wrapping his hand. Neville felt the chill air run across his hand, he could feel every movement of the hairs upon his skin as they waved minutely in the air, sending small shocks of pain through his hand. Neville looked down and got a good look at what had happened to his hand, he quickly turned away. It wasn't worst than Cho's back wounds, but it was one thing to know that you're in pain and another to see where the pain is coming from. It felt as if the pain began to double again as he looked at the swollen, bruised, and cut skin.

Cho sighed as she looked at it. "Alright. Let's get this over with. We may be rescued or we may have to get ourselves out of this situation."

Neville agreed. Who knew if they would have to be the ones to find their way out of here. He hoped it weren't so, but there was a growing sense that this was not any ordinary place. The door that just appeared, the creature in the hall, he strange ceilings that seemed to stretch upward forever. Whatever this place was, they needed to get out and they couldn't do that unless they were well enough to move. His broken fingers, battered head, Cho's cuts, and the Bodiless Man's broken leg.

"Ready?" Cho asked. She held Neville's hand in hers, her wand poised over it. Neville watched it intently for a moment. He hoped she was a good student and then nodded. "Ossis Medicor!" She cried.

Neville felt a tingling sensation envelope his hand, then suddenly it was suffused with a great fiery pain. He let out a gasp and doubled over, clutching his hand to his chest. Cho started shouting, trying to get to Neville's hand.

The red haze of pain cleared and Neville looked up to see Cho staring down at him, her face etched with worry and tears already beginning to form in her eyes. Neville groaned and sat up, suddenly feeling very weak and very dizzy. He lifted his hand up, only to see it still darkened, swollen, and the same.

Cho's face collapsed and she clenched her eyes shut. "I thought I did it right." She said in a small voice.

Neville sighed. Then he began to realize something. The constant pounding of pain from his hand had lessened. Neville looked at his fingers closely and then noticed that one of the broken fingers had been repaired. He touched it gingerly and was rewarded with no pain. He grinned, telling Cho.

"Then it works." She said, happily.

"I told you it'd work!" the Bodiless Man shouted, his voice was weak and his words hoarse. "Now, fix my leg."

Neville groaned with pain as he touched another finger. A wave to hot fire burned through his hand, darkening the corners of his vision for a moment. "Looks like only one was healed." Neville said after regain his breath. "I guess you're going to have to do it to all remaining two."

"How badly does it hurt?" Cho asked.

"No worst than it does right now." Neville replied, giving her his hand.

Twice she did it and twice Neville collapsed to the floor crying out in pain and clutching his hand. Afterward he felt weak and exhausted. He could feel the need to sleep, to eat, and to rest tugging at the edge of his mind. He resisted the call and sat back u, shaking off the slight feeling of disorientation.

"How does it feel?" Cho asked.

Neville clenched his hand slowly. "A little lingering pain, but okay." He replied.

Cho examined his hand. "The swelling will probably go down and the cuts shouldn't be a problem. They're small and they're already closed up." She nodded to herself and set down his hand.

"You should become a healer." Neville said, leaning against the wall.

Cho smiled. "Are you up to another round?" She asked.

Neville sighed. "We might as well get it over with." He replied after a moment of dread.

Cho was nodding solemnly. "You'd better pay attention to this one. Damon said that this could also heal the cuts on my back. An all purpose healing spell."

Neville looked at her questioningly.

"When I'm done healing you. You're going to have to heal me." She explained.

Neville felt a wave of dread and a wine of rising panic.

XXX

_Great ending, huh? You have to have those emotional moments where they can gather their thoughts and sort out things. _

_**Response Time!**_

_**Stroppy-Teenager**: Finally remembered what stroppy means. If the pain you were talking about at the end of chapter four, it was Cho falling on her wounded back. Just imagine how much that would hurt…a lot is my guess._

_**Gboyary: **Sorry if the name was misleading, but I couldn't help but using it. I had to skew the story a bit in Everything Falls Apart so that Neville and Cho could fall into the Wardrobe. If you hadn't realized it yet. Lion Neville, Witch Cho, and Wardrobe Wardrobe. But thanks for your review and putting me on your favorites!_

_**DarkLordLongbottom**: Thanks for your compliment. I like writing him, though I'm thinking he should be a mite more bumbling and humorous. As for Cho, she's too much of a nice kid to go about torturing people just for information. It's all bravado on her part…or is it? (Insert evil laugh)_

_**Until Next Chapter!**_


	7. Dire Straits

_Sigh. Time flies, it really does. It only felt like a few moments ago since I last update, but a month? What the… yeah it surprised and terrified me too. But things that were preventing updates has been quasi settled and I'm hoping to begin updating as quickly as I can. Thanks for those that reviewed!_

_XXX_

**Chapter Seven**

**Dire Straits**

"I'm sorry." Neville muttered. "I guess I don't have your talent for healing." He sounded miserable, he sounded tired, angry, and frustrated. Cho mirrored his feelings. For an hour or more now they had been trying to heal her wounds, after several very bad attempts, one where she was knocked unconscious and another where the wounds themselves had reopened, Cho was ready to either scream or cry. "Maybe we should have him try."

Cho closed her eyes and sighed. The pain in her back was flaring, there was the beginnings of a headache, and she was beyond exhaustion. She glanced to Damon and he looked back, his face paler than before and his eyes bloodshot and the look of pain now seemingly permanently etched into his face. He had been quiet during Neville's attempts, strangely quiet. Cho didn't know if it was his own pain or if he was planning something.

"No. We can't trust him. Who knows what he'll do if he gets hold of a wand." Cho whispered.

"But you need to be healed. Who knows how long we're going to be in here." Neville replied, he was gently rewrapping the bandages. "It could get infected, it could start to bleed again, it could…"

"No." Cho said, finality in her voice. "He doesn't go anywhere near the wand. 'kay?"

"Yeah." Neville responded sullenly.

Cho sighed again, rubbing her eyes. She could feel the edges of her patience beginning to fray. She needed sleep, she needed to be healed, and she needed something to eat. She felt her stomach rumbling and the irritating feeling of needing something to drink. How long could they last in here? How long before they were too weak to make an escape.

"We need to get out of here." Cho said.

"We don't even know where we are." Neville said, tying off the bandages.

Cho nodded unhappily. "What do we know of this place? Nothing. Did you ever see that hall we went down?"

Neville thought for a moment. "No I don't think I've ever been down that hall. But then again there's a lot of things in the castle that aren't exactly well traveled. Even with all the students there."

Cho snorted. "Bloody castle and all it's bloody secret passages, rooms, and chambers of bloody snakes." She said, clenching her fists.

"Hold on a moment." Neville reached into his tattered robes and pulled out a piece of parchment. Cho watched as he unfolded it. Cho leaned forward lightly, wincing as she felt a slight flare of pain. She looked down at the parchment and saw nothing.

"What's this supposed to be?' Cho asked, glancing up at Neville. He stared at it and sighed, refolding it.

"It's Harry's map." Neville said. "It's supposed to show everything in Hogwarts, but it doesn't seem to be working. Ginny wouldn't let me see how she made it work in the first place." He sat back and shoved the parchment into his pocket.

"So much for seeing if we were any where near Hogwarts." Cho said.

"What are we going to do?" Neville suddenly asked.

Cho closed her eyes. "I'd hope you'd know what to do now. I've never been in any of these situations. I've never been caught up in one of your adventures." She said.

"Adventures? Me?" Neville asked.

"Everyone's heard of what you guys did last year. Fighting the Death Eaters in the Ministry. It was big stuff." Cho looked up and laughed. "Are you blushing?"

"It was nothing." Neville said, clearing his throat. "I got my nose broken, my wand broken, and nearly got killed. It was pure luck that none of us got really injured or killed. It wasn't an adventure, it was terrifying."

"I'm sorry." Cho muttered. "I just-"

"No. It's all right. Everything worked out fine in the end." Neville smiled momentarily. "Dumbledore saved the day that night and we were all safe once again." Neville looked around the tower for a moment. "I guess it would be too much in asking for him to save the day, today."

"I think it's up to us. We don't know where we are. I doubt they don't know where we are. Of course we did leave some stuff behind, your wands, the Invisibility Cloak, and the open wardrobe. They might see those and come to a conclusion?"

Neville shook his head. 'No. Bloat Arm would have cleaned up any thing we left behind."

"Bloated Arm?"

"The other person, the one that hit you and tossed you into the wardrobe." Neville explained.

Cho touched her cheek gingerly, the bruise was already darkening, turning a purple blue color. She winced as she brushed it. "He tossed me in and you followed?"

"Well, he was trying to-"

Cho shook her head. "I don't know what to say. You could have gotten out. After all what's an invisible person compared to fighting Death Eaters. But you followed me into the Wardrobe." Cho smiled. "I don't know what to say. Thank you. Thank you for not leaving me."

"I..I . Your welcome?" Neville stammered. He cleared his throat. "You handled yourself well today too. I saw you go up against that beastie out there and you fought well." He added.

Cho smiled again. "Thanks. My first time fighting a monster. Of course it really did nothing since that thing just brushed off the spells and kept coming."

Neville nodded. "It's fast. It's strong. It's deadly." Neville ticked the words off with his fingers, he wiggled the previously broken fingers and smiled. "The spells and jinx knock it out for a moment, the candlestick hurt it enough that it tried to attack me. That's something." He quieted for a moment. "I think we're going to have to go through that thing out there. Knock it out or kill it somehow."

Cho nodded solemnly. " I think so too. There's no way out of here. There's probably no help coming. We have no food. No water. Only a wand and a candle stick for weapons, you're still weak from the healing and concussion, He." Cho stabbed a finger at Damon, "has a broken leg, and me with this hideous headache and sliced and deiced back."

Neville nodded and grinned. 'Well, when you put it that way. I pity that monster."

Cho chuckled weakly. "A possible criminal in our clutches, a strange building we're in, a monster out side the door, and all of us injured. Things could be better."

"If you two kids are done with your little gossiping session. Could one of you please heal my damn leg." Damon suddenly cried, his voice hoarse.

"You." Cho grunted, rising to her feet with Neville's help. 'You aren't going anywhere as yet. You have some things we need to know. And you're going to tell us everything, or you'll be playing the bait." Cho said.

Damon glared at Cho. "Fine. Just heal me and I'll tell you everything."

_XXX_

_Ohhh. The story continues. Whimper in anticipation!! Please…_

Until Next Chapter!


	8. Questions, Answers, and a Decision

_Yea! A new chapter. See told you I'd update as soon as I could. Well hope you enjoy the chapter. Things really get rolling from here on out. _

_XXX_

**Chapter Eight**

**Questions, Answers, and a Decision**

"There's a story that's often told. About those that failed Him and what happened to them. He rarely ever outright kills those that have failed him, but instead he does something worst. He throws them into the Dark. The place where people go, but never come back. The vast pit of black that has no escape, where no one's ever come out of." Damon shuddered for a moment.

"What can you tell us of the Dark?" Neville asked.

Damon looked at him. "Nothing. I've never been there. I've never seen it. I've only heard the stories and heard the screams of terror as those that failed were brought before it."

"That's a lot of bloody help." Cho snapped.

"So, maybe this place is just full of monsters like we saw outside. It would be a reason why no one's ever escaped. They get killed before they do. Has anyone ever entered with a wand?" Neville asked.

Damon shook his head. "No they're usually thrown in unclothed. No weapons, nothing that could help them."

Cho closed her eyes, taking a slow deep breath. Neville cast a look at her. She looked pale and worn, her eyes were red rimmed and there was a shakiness about her. Neville assumed it was from all the pain in her back. He glanced back to Damon, he could probably heal her. If he could be trusted with the wand.

"What were you doing in the Gryffindor common room?" Neville asked.

Damon suddenly laughed. "Nothing. It was all a big coincidence me being there."

"What were you doing there?" Neville asked again.

"Nothing. I was there…watching." He said after a moment.

Neville glanced at Cho in confusion. She returned his look and glared at Damon. "Watching what?" She asked, her voice cold.

"You know…invisibility has some perks." Damon tried laughing but the look on Cho's face stopped him.

Cho suddenly snorted in disgust. "This pervert was watching the girls while he was invisible, weren't you?" Cho glared at Damon and he slowly nodded.

Neville shook his head. "How long?"

"Look Samuel doesn't care what we do on our free time. As long as we're not discovered or do anything stupid."

"How long have you all been in the school?" Neville asked.

"About a week and a half now."

"How did you get into the school?" Cho asked, still glaring.

"We're invisible. We just walked in the front doors and toward an abandoned part of the castle. No one saw us and no one knew we were there."

"What are you doing in the castle? What are you up to?" Cho asked.

"Look I haven't been doing this long. I was asked by my friend Jacob if I wanted to join in on a job. A couple of weeks work, mostly just sitting around and watching out for things. At the end we'd get a big cut of whatever we got. I don't even really know what the hell Samuel and his other Weirdoes are doing." Damon explained.

"You still haven't told us anything." Cho said. Neville could here the barely constrained anger behind her words. Damon picked up on it also and began speaking again.

"My job was only to watch. Watch out for any nosy students and professors that might disturb Samuel. I wasn't told much of what they were doing, much of anything at all. Just to watch."

Cho sighed. "What use are you if you don't know anything?" She asked.

"Why does one of them look like Draco? One of your little gang of men. Why does one of them look like Draco?" Neville asked, ignoring Cho.

Damon frowned, thinking. "That's Samuel. He's a strange bugger. He in charge of us all, making sure we do what we're supposed to do. But I don't know why, I've never asked, but he enjoys pretending to be that little prick Draco. He wants to be him, I guess. So he takes his place a time or two." Damon explained. He looked at Cho and Neville. "I didn't ask him why he does it. I guess it tickles his fancy." Suddenly Damon began laughing. "You know it was he who got turned into an animal the other day in the Great Hall. You should have seen him afterward, he was throwing death threats around."

Neville thought for a moment. Hermione had been attacked after Draco had left the hospital wing. Had that been this Samuel? "Is he the one who attacked Hermione?" Neville asked.

Damon stopped laughing and pursed his lips, thinking. "Yeah. I think so. He and his band of merry men said they were going to take care of some business, I guess he's out to get those that made him look stupid." Damon nodded, still smiling at the image.

Neville sighed. What was going on here? Cho was right in that Damon wasn't much help. Either he was lying or he really didn't know what this Samuel was up to. What were they looking for. There were some things about his story that didn't seem right. How could he know of the Dark if he'd only met with these people a few weeks ago, did he work for You Know Who? Neville rubbed his aching eyes and glanced at Cho.

"How are you doing?" Cho suddenly asked Damon. He blinked in surprise, taking a long pause before answering.

"Leg hurts like hell, head hurts like hell, and I'm thirsty as hell." Damon responded.

"We're all injured here. We all need food, water, rest, and to be healed. You're no use to us with your leg broken and there's things you still have to answer." Cho said, staring unblinkingly at Damon. Damon shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "If we just leave your leg the way it is any longer, it'll swell and it'll be hell to walk in. As much as I'd just like to leave you the way you are, we're going to have to heal you."

"Great." Damon said, a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"There's nothing great about your situation. You're…our prisoner now." Cho said, Neville glanced at her, but she continued forward, her words a little rushed. "I don't know who or what you are. For all we know you work for You Know Who. So for now we're taking you prisoner. You'll do what we say when we say it. No complaining, no questioning." Cho folded her arms across her chest. "You have a lot to answer for, Damon."

Damon was quiet, he glanced at Neville, then back to Cho. "Fine. Just heal my leg."

"You know of this place. You know of this Dark." Cho continued, ignoring his words. "We're going to need to know everything you know about this place, because we're going to try to get out of here on our own."

"You're mad." Damon whispered.

_XXX_

_Good chapter, no? Maybe the next will be better._

_Until Next Chapter!_


	9. While You Were Sleeping II

Chapter Nine

While You Were Sleeping II

"Out like a log." Neville muttered, yawning widely to himself. He rubbed his gritty eyes and glanced blearily at Cho. She smiled back faintly, eyes dark with exhaustion and pain.

"At least someone's going to get a good night's sleep." She replied.

"Well, he got what he wanted." Neville shook his head. Healing finger bones seemed to have been an easier task than trying to put back together a larger and bigger bone in the leg. Cho had done her best, but the pain Damon must have felt… Neville shook his head again. His ears were still ringing from the screaming and the sobbing.

Cho imitated Neville's yawn. He looked about tiredly. "We need to get some sleep. We're going to have to tackle that beast." She said.

Neville nodded, feeling a slight rise of fear. They had gone up against it once and barely got away. What Cho was proposing was they go up against it again. Could they win? Neville cast a furtive glance at Cho. She was hurt, badly. She wasn't complaining, but Neville could see it. The small expressions of pain, the stiff movements, and the occasional gasps she tried hiding with yawns.

Looking at her, Neville felt a wave of anger. Not anger directed toward her, but toward himself. She had been able to heal his broken fingers and the cuts upon him, but he hadn't been able to do anything beyond cause her more pain. He didn't have the talent she did for healing and she was suffering because of it.

"We need some sleep." Neville echoed. He cast a glance to Damon, who was lying upon his back, most of his body seemingly not there. His previously broken leg was exposed, the invisible cloth covering his body tore away from the injured leg. The skin was blue and swollen, but the bone beneath was as healed as Cho could get it.

"We need our strength. We need our rest." Cho said. She looked tired and worn, but she didn't move. Instead she sat there, back as erect as she could get it and hands upon her lap, staring at nothing.

Neville moved toward her, gently taking her hand. "Come on, Cho." He said. "You need to sleep. You're exhausted and it'll only get worst. You won't be able to heal if you don't get your rest."

Cho looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I can barely move. My back hurts with every muscle I move." Her voice was hoarse with pain.

Neville cringed. He reached out and took her wand lying lax in her hand; she didn't even try to stop him. Neville sighed, looking down at the wand. "Do you want me to try again?" He asked softly.

Cho looked at him and hesitated. "Are you sure?" She asked.

Neville continued to look down at the wand. It was not his. It felt completely different, lighter, longer, and smoother. Another person's wand. Could he do it? Could he heal her? The last attempt had been a near disaster. How much pain could Cho bear? Neville looked up at Cho and saw her watching him. "Are you sure?" He echoed.

Cho nodded slowly. "Do it."

"It'll hurt." Neville warned.

"Do it."

"It might not work."

"Do it." There was determination in her voice. "I trust you." She whispered a moment later. Neville stared and then nodded, clenching the wand in his hand.

Taking a deep breath, Neville raised the wand and pointed it at Cho. She was strong and she was brave. But he didn't think he could stand her cries of pain. He felt a moment's hesitation a moment of shame at his own weakness.

"Sopor." He said. There was a flash of light and Cho let out a startled gasp of breath, she blinked her eyes and stared at Neville for a moment, then she slumped forward unconscious. Neville caught her, gently pulling her to the stone floor. He maneuvered her gently, lying her upon her front and using the wadded material of invisible cloth Cho had taken from Damon as a makeshift pillow.

Trust. Neville sighed, rubbing his weary eyes. She trusted him, but was it right to trust him. Was he able to go through with it? There were so many things that could go wrong. There were so many things that could happen. He was not a healer. What if something terrible really did happen? What could he do?

Panic began to rise in Neville. His hand shook as he set the wand down. Her trust was misplaced. She trusted him, but he didn't.

Neville closed his eyes and took another deep breath. He had to do this. Now wasn't the time for doubt, for second guessing, for trying to back out. He looked down at Cho, even in her sleep her face was strained with pain, her breathing shallow. She needed his help.

Neville pushed down his fear and his doubts. He would do this. He picked up the wand and carefully began untying Cho's bandages. Cho let out a gasp of pain as Neville pulled off he last piece of black cloth. He felt his stomach clench as he saw the damage beneath it. The skin was hot to the touch, redden, and seeping blood.

He couldn't imagine the pain Cho was in. He had to heal it. He had to make it better, get rid of the blood and cuts. Make her whole and make it so that the wounds didn't hurt her so much. She needed it. He had to do it. Neville repeated the words to himself. He had to do it. It was no longer about trying, he had to do it.

"Heal." Neville said, loudly and clearly, the wand pointed to Cho's back. Nothing happened. Neville frowned and focused upon the wound. The cut, the broken flesh, the body that was already trying to heal itself. "Heal." Cho let out a soft gasp of pain. Neville clenched his fists around the wand, gritting his teeth, and focusing everything upon the wound. "HEAL."

Cho's back arched and she let out a scream. Neville fell back as he saw blood begin pouring down her back, staring in horror he moved to stop the flow, but then saw something. The open wounds began to close, the flesh coming together. Neville stared in fascination.

He had done it. He had healed her. He let out a laugh and then glanced about sheepishly. Damon was still out and Cho was breathing regularly, her face softening into a peaceful sleep.

Grinning, Neville suddenly felt weary. As if all the strength had been drained from him, he suddenly felt his eyes growing heavy and his movements slow and clumsy. He tried shaking it off, there were still things he had to do. Slowly and laboriously, he took off all the bandages and patched up her robes.

It was done. She was healed.

He felt her shivering beneath his hands and realized that the Tower was getting colder. He spared at glance to Damon and saw he curled up, huddled in one of the corners. As he sat there he began to fill a chill in the air, one that hadn't been there before.

The day didn't seem to be changing. There was still the same light coming in from the narrow slit window high upon the wall. Maybe there weren't days where they were. Neville snorted. It didn't matter if the day never ended or if it was night. They were still trapped and they still didn't know where they were.

Neville picked up the wand, trying to remember a few severing spells. He pointed the wand at his robes and began cutting. It took a few moments to finish and product wasn't the best, but it would do what it needed. Neville shivered as he pulled the upper portion of his robes off. The chill air suddenly striking his skin and making his teeth chatter. The thin shirt he wore beneath his robes was no protection against the sudden cold.

Staring down at the cloth in his lap Neville tried thinking of the spells. His exhaustion was tugging that the edge of his consciousness and he felt a painful headache begin to start pounding. It was cloth to cloth. That shouldn't be too hard. It wasn't like turning a rat invisible or turning a creature into a pin cushion. Neville gripped the wand again and pointed it to the cloth, muttering his spell. After a moment he grinned, unfurling the long black blanket he had just created.

"Not bad for my first try." Neville remarked to himself. He turned to Cho and rolled her gently within it. She shifted in her sleep, but didn't wake.

Neville sat against the wall, closing his aching eyes. After a moment he opened them again and looked to the thick iron door. The monster was still out there, though it hadn't banged upon the door in the last few hours. It was still out there. He felt a small stir of nervousness and fear, but pushed it away. They had to deal with it. They had to get past it, somehow. Beyond it lay freedom. Hopefully.

"You need to sleep. You need to rest." Neville closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. Though he was exhausted beyond measure he continued to sit there. He shifted a few times and began counting backwards in his mind. One hundred…Sleep. Ninety-One…Sleep. Fifty-Three…Sleep. Twenty…Sleep. Seventeen…

Finally it came and always it was not peaceful.

_XXX_

**_Until Next Chapter!_**


	10. Preparing For Battle

**Preparing For Battle**

_A face of ivory. Eyes sharp and cold as obsidian. A horrible laugh that grated through his ears, and stabbed deep into him. A laugh that was like a blade, sharp and deadly, slicing through all his defenses and striking the most vital parts._

_He could hear it. He could hear it coming closer. She was coming for him. To finish off what she had begun. She was coming for him. A creature of darkness. A creature of pain. _

_All he wanted to do was to hide. To curl up. To disappear. Anything to get away. _

_The laughter rang out loud and clear. He knew she had found him. He knew that all was lost. Fear pure and deep filled him._

XXX

"Neville!"

Neville's eyes shot open and his gaze caught a face half hidden in the weak light that filled the room. Dark hair and dark eyes. For a moment pure fear coursed through him and he pushed back, eyes wide and heart beating, trying to escape.

"Neville!"

The voice cut through the fog of fear and confusion. Neville shook his head, looking at Cho now sprawled out a few feet from him. A look of worry and fear crossed her face as she stared at him. Neville took a deep breath, shakily rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was only a dream. He thought. Only a dream.

"I'm sorry." Neville said. "I…I'm sorry."

Cho continued to watch him, after a moment she nodded. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Neville gave a strained smile. "Everything's fine."

Again Cho nodded. Though Neville could still see worry in her eyes, along with a bit of fear. "How are you feeling?" Neville asked, changing the subject.

Cho grinned, rolling her shoulders and stretching a bit. "It feels wonderful." She stated. "You never know how much you miss doing the little things until you can't do them anymore. Plus no pain, that's always a plus."

Neville grinned. Her joy was infectious. His grin faltered a moment later as his gaze fell upon the Iron Door. He glanced to Cho and she saw what he was looking at. Her frown also faded as she contemplated the door.

"Plans?" Neville asked.

Cho grunted. "I'm open to suggestions." She said.

Neville was quiet for a moment. "I guess there is really no way a plan will work. It's a stand up fight. Going toe to toe with that thing."

Cho rolled her eyes at Neville. "That sounds clichéd. Next you'll be saying it's do or die, victory or death." She frowned for a moment and then laughed hollowly. "It really is do or die, isn't it?"

Neville nodded slowly. If the monster wasn't taken care of, then they would be stuck inside the Tower. No food, no water, nothing to do but stare at one another. Neville suppressed a grin. He wouldn't mind staring at Cho, but the Bodiless Man? Neville glanced to the man. He was still out, curled up in the far corner, newly fixed leg exposed and turning a strange shade of purple. In his present state the Bodiless Man was nothing more than an eyesore. It just hurt Neville to look at the Bodiless Man's leg.

Damon, not the Bodiless Man. Neville rolled the name on his tongue. He'd gotten used to calling him the Bodiless Man and in his mind he was the Bodiless Man. The one who attacked Ginny, causing who knows what hurt to her. He's the one who chased him down the halls, stairs, and into this place. He was their prisoner now, at least until they could get out of this place. Neville frowned. They were responsible for his care and for his well being, to a degree. Neville glanced up toward the what he assumed was non existent ceiling. He could feel a weight of responsibility from Cho's quick decision settling upon his shoulders.

How many sixteen year olds were responsible for taking care of a prisoner? How many sixteen year olds were trapped in a Tower with a monster waiting outside their door? How many…

Neville shook his head.

"What's up?" Cho asked.

"It's just strange how your thoughts jump from one thing to another." Neville said. Cho looked at him questioningly, but Neville shook his head again. "I guess we could just go out and see what we see."

Cho raised an eyebrow at his plan. "Not much for strategizing aren't you?" She asked, a small smile forming.

Neville grinned. "Simple and direct."

"Right." Cho nodded, picking up her wand from the floor. "Who gets this?" She asked.

"You do." Neville said.

"You sure?" Cho asked.

Neville nodded. "Its yours. If I had my wand I'd prefer to use it. Your wand's…right for you. Not me. I think I'd just mess up a spell or curse if I tried using it in a hurry."

Cho let out a breath. "Thanks a lot." She said, though by her tone she didn't seem happy about it. Neville glanced at her questioningly. She gave a forced smiled and twirled the wand in her hand. "You've just put it all on me to defeat this thing." She clarified.

Neville cringed. "I…" He couldn't think of anything to say.

"No. You're right. This is my wand and it was chosen for me because I could use it well. It fits me and… It's just the responsibility."

Neville smiled slightly. "I was just thinking that a moment ago. The responsibility of him." Neville gestured toward Damon.

"What?"

"You said he's our prisoner. He knows things that may help the professors find ot what's going on. We can't just let him go or let him get hurt. We have the responsibility to make sure he's kept unharmed." Neville explained.

Cho frowned. "I hadn't realized that." She said. "I just… I just said the first thing that came to my mind. I didn't even think of the consequences."

"It's okay. We'd have to take care of him anyway. Like you said. We can't trust him. He's one of the bad guys." Neville said. "Now we make that first step to seeing if we get out of here or not." Neville glanced at the door.

"This the part we yell and work our selves up into a frenzy?" Cho asked.

Neville laughed. "If you want."

"What are you going to use to fight this thing?" Suddenly Cho laughed. "It just sounds so surreal. What are you going to use to fight this thing. Yesterday all that was on my mind was homework. Now…this."

Neville agreed. "I'll use the candle stick." Neville said, hefting the long thin rusted candlestick. "It helped before." He added after a moment.

"Maybe I can transfigure it into something. Like a knife or a club." Cho said suddenly. Neville handed her the candlestick and she pointed her wand at it, calling out a spell. Nothing happened. Cho looked at him worried. "Maybe my wand's broken. Lumos." The tip of her wand lit up. She turned back to the candlestick and said another spell. Nothing happened.

"Just my luck." Neville said a little grimly. " I get the candlestick that won't turn into anything else."

Cho looked down at it frowning. "Maybe we shouldn't." She said.

"Then where would we be? We'd still be stuck in here." Neville got to his feet, extending a hand out to Cho. "Its now or never." He said.

"Do or die?" Cho said with a sardonic smile.

Neville winced at her words. "Hopefully not."

_**XXX**_

_**Until Next Chapter!!**_


	11. To Battle The Beast

**To Battle the Beast**

"After you." Cho said smiling.

Neville grinned at the moment of levity. "Ladies first." He said, but he reached for the door latch. He felt a thrill of nervousness and dread, but he pushed it away. They had to do this, they had to get out. Do or die, as Cho put it.

"I got your back." Cho said, arm extended and wand pointed straight at Neville's back. She smiled nervously, Neville was glad he wasn't the only one scared at the moment.

"Just don't curse me instead." Neville took a deep breath, hefted his candlestick which was beginning to feel like a foolish choice for a weapons, and then yanked open the iron door. It swung open smoothly, revealing a dark hall.

Neville lunged forward, candlestick extended. It met with no resistance. He yelped with surprise and stumbled forward, nearly falling. Cho cursed, but not the magical kind.

"Where is it?" She asked looking around warily.

Neville looked down the long dark hall and then up toward the non existent ceiling. "Could be anywhere." He said. Neville walked forward, with each step something inside him was screaming to go back. To run, to hide, but he continued forward. They needed to do this.

"Careful." Cho warned. Neville nodded in agreement, his candlestick raised and ready to strike.

When it came, it came fast. Neville thought he was prepared. He would distract the monster while Cho wore it down with spells and curses. He could hold it at bay, he would do all he could. But his plans were dashed as the monster seemingly flew by him, incredibly fast, and straight for Cho.

Neville swung, but all he got was air. Cho staggered back, a curse flaring from her wand. The creature seemed to shift in mid air, moving out of the way of the spell and scampering up the wall. Neville ducked just in time as a blast of light flashed past him. He could feel the tingle of the near missed spell.

"Above you!" Neville cried.

Cho pointed her wand upward, but the monster was on top of her before a spell could escape her lips. Cho screamed and Neville charged. With all his strength he swung his candlestick into the back of the creature.

It gave a hiss and Neville suddenly staggered back, his wind knocked out of him and stars appearing in his vision. Something hard and something heavy smashed into him again and he fell upon his back, the candlestick clattering out of his grip. The world seemed to become suddenly muted and a dull roar filled his ears. He lay there blinking for a moment, trying to remember what was going on. Then it all suddenly came roaring back.

Cho! Neville jumped to his feet and then fell back to the floor again. The creature flew above him, it's screech of pain filling the narrow confines of the hall. Cho got to her feet, an arm clutched to her side and the sleeves of her robes torn. Her face was contorted into rage and she aimed the wand directly at the monster.

"Stupefy!" She yelled.

Neville could feel the power of the spell as it roared like the Hogwarts Express above him. He wished he could have burrowed into the stone floor as fire danced along his exposed skin. Never before had he felt such force behind a spell.

The monster screamed, trying to dodge the curse, but not fast enough to escape the full effects. The creature tumbled end over end down the hall. It hissed and sputtered, weakly rising to it's long thin legs. Cho leaned against the side of the wall, panting and looking exhausted.

"Expelliarmus!" Cho cried, but the monster moved faster. It danced out of the way of the blast and then seemed to run along the walls, heading straight for Cho.

Neville reached out and grabbed the candlestick and threw it. The long piece of metal bounced off the hide of the monster, causing it to suddenly swirl and roar at Neville. Pure animal fear filled Neville as he stared into those red tinged eyes. He could almost see it tearing him limb from limb.

Suddenly it lurched forward, propelled by a curse Cho sent at it. The monster roared, forgetting Neville and rounding upon Cho. Neville shook off his fear and lunged for the candlestick lying upon the ground. Cho aimed the wand at the monster.

Neville didn't know if the monster knew it was losing or if it was just tired of the fight with prey that could defend itself, for whatever reason it suddenly lunged past Cho and for freedom. The only thing was that it was heading straight for the Tower.

The cool feel of the candlestick filled Neville's hand and he scampered to his feet running toward the Tower. He pushed past Cho, not catching what she was screaming at him. The monster made it past the open door and looked around confused for a moment as it saw no escape. Then it saw Damon lying upon the floor, food that didn't fight back.

Neville yelled, the creature turned to him, ignoring Damon for the moment. The door was close, if he could just…

Suddenly the creature's tail snapped out, the deadly end flashing in the weak light. Neville realized he couldn't stop, not in time to avoid that tip. Instead of impaling him on it's tail the creature used it to slam the door shut. Neville cursed as he slammed into the door as it swung out and met him.

Pain flashed through him, everywhere and blindingly hot. He fell back, gasping. He heard his name being called, but it sounded far far away. He tried getting to his feet, but none of his limbs seemed to be responding to orders. When they did every limb felt thick and heavy and every movement sent a nauseating flash of pain through him. He felt the brushing of robes and looked up to see Cho rushing past him and into the Tower. Her face set into a determined snarl and wand still in her hands. Neville felt an overwhelming relief that she was still alright and still in the fight.

There was a ringing in his ears but it was not loud enough to block out the sounds of terrified screaming. Not female, but a male's voice. Damon. Neville slapped the ground, fumbling for his candlestick. Through a dazed fog he could feel panic rising, fear and terror trying to burn away the fog of pain.

Neville felt a suddenly blast of hot air, then the stench of something horrible. He coughed raggedly, still trying to get to his knees. The world suddenly seemed to tilt and the stone floor came up and slapped him. Then there was darkness.

_**XXX**_

_**Until Next Chapter!!!**_


	12. Beyond The Beast

_Sexy? I don't think anyone's ever describe this series as sexy… But I aim to please (lol). Read and Enjoy._

_XXX_

Beyond the Beast 

"Not so tight!" Damon cried out.

Cho glowered at Damon, intentionally yanking the length of cloth roughly. Damon yelped in pain and glared back at Cho.

"I said-"

Cho got to her feet and walked away from him, not caring what he said. Damon shut up and stared angrily at her back, though she knew if he could he'd do more than just glare at her back. That was also the reason she had tied his arms behind his back. He'd be able to move about, but he wouldn't be running anywhere soon, not that he could run very fast with his healing leg. After all he was their prisoner and it was time to start treating him as such.

Sighing, Cho wiped her face with the sleeve of her robes. It was hot. A direct opposite of their situation before, where they had been trapped in the Tower and the temperature seemed to be continually dropping, here it seemed to be growing hotter every minute they were in it. Cho squinted and looked about the room. It was not only hot, it was also bright, There was no source of the light that she could see, it just seemed to be everywhere, worst than any hot afternoon sun.

It wasn't even a dry heat. Cho mused, wiping damp hands upon damp robes. The air was hot and muggy. Cho felt like she was drowning every time she breathed, the air was so thick with moisture. It was worst than any other day near the coast, at least there, there would be a chance of a breeze. Here the air was still as a tomb and just as silent.

The room was large, almost cavernous, brightly lit and as in the Tower had no ceiling that she could easily see. The light seemed to get brighter as she looked up, so there was no real way to see how high the ceiling was. It was not entirely a single large room also. There were smaller rooms that branched off what Cho was calling the Great Hall. A long and wide and zig zagging hall that shot off a lot of smaller branches into smaller rooms that were either empty or full of small pools of water.

She didn't know how long it the Great Hall extended, but she hadn't seen any other exits. The thought that there was no exit from this Sauna had crossed her mind, but she refused to think about it. There had to be a way out.

"Why is it you're always the one getting knocked around?" Cho asked, crouching down before Neville.

"Blame it on my bravery." Neville groaned. There was a large bruise that was growing on the side of his face, from where the door had smashed into him.

Cho smiled tightly. She had seen Neville crashed into the door and for a moment she had been paralyzed with fear that he had been killed. He had just collapsed bonelessly to the ground, not moving for a few seconds. Utter rage and anger had burned in her for that moment and she had blindly rushed the creature, no plan but to destroy the monster.

"How are you feeling?" Cho asked softly.

Neville chuckled and then winced. "I guess my head's harder than I thought it was. First landing head first onto a stone floor, now running head first into an iron door. What will it be next? What's harder than iron?"

Cho laughed weakly. "Diamond?"

Neville smiled. "Bring it on, then." He sighed, leaning against the wall. The walls in the Sauna were also different, Cho noticed, they weren't the bricks as in the Tower, but smooth white marble. "What now?" Neville asked.

Cho sighed, folding her legs and resting her hand in her palm. When had she become the leader? She thought. Possibly the first time she encountered the Beast and began threatening Damon so he'd divulge his secrets. She didn't want the pressure of trying to figure out what they were supposed to do. She didn't want to be the one responsible for what they would be doing.

"We find a way out. We head for an exit." Cho said, pushing away her doubts. "If there are more of those things out there, we'll then we'll just fry them again." Cho's chuckle held little mirth and Neville eyed her, his grin faltering.

"You did what you had to do. What did you think we were trying to do?" Neville asked. "Do or die. Remember?"

Cho nodded. "It's not what I did that bothers me, it's what I was feeling." She sighed.

Neville was quiet for a moment. "What were you feeling?" He asked.

"Anger. Fear. Terror beyond belief." Cho replied.

"Yet you ran into the Tower, to save Damon."

"Save Damon?" Cho scoffed, taking a glance at Damon who was trying to sit comfortably with his hands tied behind his back. He saw her watching him and glared back. "That was the last thing on my mind. I thought that thing had killed you and all I wanted was to kill it." Cho quickly got to her feet. "We still need to find a way out of here."

"Hey, Cho. I-" Neville began. Cho shook her head.

"We need to find a way out." Cho forced a grin. "In the mean time. Keep an eye on Damon. He might get out of his restraints."

Neville nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I need to get out of here." Cho muttered to herself as she walked off from Neville. How long had they been stuck in here? Cho almost couldn't remember what things were like, maybe that was just the heat. It was addling her brain. Cho chuckled. Steamed brain. She nodded to herself. It was just the heat.

She continued down the Great Hall, half-heartedly looking into small or large rooms. They all held the same things, nothing or water. As she continued to walk, the air seemed to continue to get hotter and hotter. A few dozen steps later her robes were like wet rags upon her and she felt sweat greasily pour down her face and skin.

"There's got to be a way out of here." She muttered, wiping her face. She entered another room and looked about, it was filled with waves of steam rolling off a large pool. Cho coughed wetly. It felt like she was breathing water.

Cho pulled out her wand and pointed it at the fog. She muttered a spell and the fog suddenly condensed, water splashing to the ground and flowing along the smooth marble floor. Cho shrugged as the small tidal wave of water lapped around her ankles. She was already soaked through.

She looked around again and grinned. There was a large wooden door across the pool. Cho frowned, studying the door. The only thing was that she would have to enter the pool to get to it. Again Cho shrugged, plunging into the hip deep water and wading toward the door. The water was hot, almost scalding, but Cho ignored it and continued toward the door. She got to it and stretching as high as she could pulled open the latch.

A blast of cold air hit her and immediately Cho began shivering violently. It was freezing cold, colder than in the Tower. Cho wrapped her arms around her and squinted looking beyond the door.

It was dark. Even with the light spilling out of the Sauna, it was almost pitch black beyond the few feet the light revealed. Sighing and shivering, Cho pulled herself out of the water and into the new room. She gasped as the cold intensified. The hot water of the pool had warmed her, now it was gone and her drenched robes did nothing to keep her warm.

"L-lumos." Cho stuttered, raising her wand. The light flared and Cho was disappointed when it didn't reveal much. It looked exactly like the hall that led into the Sauna. She frowned remembering what lay in the hall outside of the Sauna. "Hopefully there's no monster in here."

The words had just left her lips when Cho heard a skittering coming from beyond the light of her wand.

**_XXX_**

**_Until Next Chapter!!!_**


	13. The Creature In The Hall

The Creature in the Hall 

"Why do you let her boss you around?" Damon asked after several minutes of quiet.

Neville looked to Damon. "Why shouldn't I?" He asked. There was only one she among the small group, so Neville didn't ask as to who Damon was talking about.

Damon turned and glanced to where Cho disappeared among the steam rising from the pools. "She's a girl. They're emotional and they're weak."

"Weak?" Neville glared at Damon. "She's the one who saved your bloody hide. If it weren't for her you'd be nothing more than a snack for the Beast. Of the three of us here, she's the strongest and bravest one."

XXX

The skittering revealed itself to be something grotesque and definitely not friendly. Not with teeth that sharp and claws that long. It was dog sized, it was smooth skinned, and it let out a shrill cry as it saw Cho. She didn't have to think twice, Cho ran.

XXX

"Oh. I didn't say she wasn't brave. I said she is emotional and she is weak. Everyone can be brave in the right situation. All it takes is knowing that you're going to die and then suddenly you're filled with bravery." Damon grinned. "You get trapped in a corner and that animal part of your mind clicks on. The one that screams for survival and will fight against anything that stands in it's way. Bravery." Damon scoffed.

XXX

The Creature skidded to the edge of the pool and let out another shrill cry. Cho took a glance back and tried to hurry up, but it was almost impossible to try to run half submerged. The water was too shallow to try to swim.

The Creature suddenly leapt. Cho ducked, but realized it wasn't trying to jump upon her. Instead it landed upon the other edge of the pool, directly where she was going. Cho stopped, glancing around. She was directly in the middle of the pool. The creature would be able to beat her to any side. She was also too far away to shout for help.

Cho pulled out her wand. She'd have to deal with this one on her own.

XXX

"As for strength?" Damon laughed. "She wouldn't be able to stand against a monster without your help. That monster in the hall, the Beast, as you call it. She may have killed it, but she needed your help to fight it. You took all the hits, all the pain, and the injuries, while she just waltzed in and took the credit. She smoked that thing after you weakened it. She doesn't have the strength to stand up against a monster by herself."

XXX

"Stupefy!" Cho shouted, but the monster leapt again. This time directly at her. Cho tried dodging, but again the water slowed her movements, it was like trying to dodge in slow motion while the Creature moved in regular speed.

"Stupefy!" Cho cried again, this time catching the creature in the chest. The creature splashed into the water beside her. Cho felt a slice of fire along her right arm causing her to drop her wand and cry out in pain. She felt the all too familiar feeling of blood trickling down her arm.

The creature splashed in the water, it's jaws snapping at Cho. She moved out of the way, nursing her right arm and frantically searching for her wand. The creature seemed to move as easily in the water as it did out. It began circling her, black eyes staring straight at her.

XXX

"If I were you, I'd shut up now." Neville said hotly. He laboriously got to his feet, the room spinning for a moment. "What are you trying to do? Trying to drive wedge between me and Cho? Trying to make me doubt her?"

"Hey, man." Damon smiled disarmingly. "I didn't mean to rile you up. I'm just telling things the way they are."

Neville stared at the man. "What?" He asked dangerously.

Damon grinned disarmingly again, realizing he had just hit a nerve. "Hey, I'm just kidding."

"The way things are?" Neville snarled. "You call her emotional? Just because she cares about things beyond herself? You call her weak when she's the one that saved your life and mine? The one who healed your damn leg?"

"Hey-"

"Quiet." Neville hissed, glaring at Damon. "I may not know Cho as well as others, but from what I've seen the past couple of days. She's braver, stronger, smarter, and more determined than you or me. She fought the Beast and she was hurt by it. She was in terrible pain and she trusted me to heal her. When she got better she didn't give up, she didn't just sit back and try to wait for someone to find us. She went back out and fought the Beast again. She didn't give up, she gave it her all, she fought while you huddle in the Tower pretending to be asleep."

XXX

The creature lunged at Cho. She cocked back her fist and snapped it out as the creature came close. There was a loud smack as flesh hit flesh and Cho gasped out in pain as the impact flared up her arm. The creature let out a yelp and staggered in the water, dazed by the impact.

Ignoring the pain in her hand and having no time to look for her wand, Cho lunged at the creature. Her hands gripped around the neck of the creature. The skin was almost rubbery in the water, her fingers finding purchase on the rough pebbled skin. She interlaced them around it's neck and began to squeeze.

The creature gasped, it's hind legs kicked out at Cho. She gasped in pain as she felt it's claws scraping at her thighs and legs. Grimly she tightened her grip and plunged the head of the creature into the water. It continued to kick, it's struggles become more and more frantic.

Cho let out a snarl and dropped to her knees, pulling the creature down even farther into the water. The hot water enveloped her head and shoulders, but Cho pressed the head of the creature against the marble bottom of the pool, using all her weight to keep it down.

It's legs and claws still kicked and scratched. Cho ignored the pain to her stomach and arms. The struggling became feeble and Cho continued to hold the creature down, until finally it stopped moving all together. It's legs gave one last spasm and the creature went limp. Cho released her grip and rose out of the water, gasping for breath.

XXX

"She can stand up against anything and she won't back down. You think I should doubt her? You think I should try to undermine her? That I should try to take the lead and get us out of here?' Neville scoffed. "You're a bloody idiot. Do you think I would ever give thought to anything you say? You're a cowardly, spineless bastard!"

Neville pointed a finger toward the direction Cho had gone, his voice tight with anger and suppressed rage. "That girl's a far better person than you'll ever be. She's the one who'll get us out of here and I'll gladly follow her and do what she says. She has the strength to get us out of here, no matter what rubbish you speak."

XXX

Her wand was floating mere inches from her hand. Cho looked down and grabbed it, wincing as she extended her right arm. She sighed looking down at the long clean cut that ran from shoulder to elbow. She was getting tired of cuts.

Carefully she walked to the edge of the pools, wincing with every step and cringing at the amount of healing that would have to be done. She hoped that Neville would be up to it. With a groan she pulled herself out of the water and sat upon the edge of the pool panting for breath, her feet still dangling in the water.

She looked down at what had been crystal clear water and saw that it was tinged with pink. Cho sighed, carefully pulling open her tattered robes and wincing again as she saw the damaged the creature had done to her legs. She covered them back up and sighed, suddenly feeling very weary.

Near the center of the pool the creature bobbed in the water. It was almost dog like in it's appearance. Four short muscular legs, a flat face with two pointed ears, and a thin whipcord short tail. She watched it float for a moment and then looked down at her hands.

No wand. No magic. Just an animal need to live. Cho closed her eyes and for some inexplicable reason began to cry.

XXX

"Hey, sorry to have offended your girlfriend." Damon sneered.

Neville sighed. "You don't shut up do you?" He asked wearily.

XXX

"You boys playing nice?" Cho asked as she limped toward them. Neville was sitting against the wall and glaring at Damon. Damon looked toward her, eyes narrowing and began shouting something that definitely sounded like cursing muffled by the gag tied around his mouth. "Should have thought of that sooner." She muttered.

"Find a way-" Neville's jaw dropped and eyes widen as he saw her. "What happened?" He was on his feet, crossing the few feet in moments.

"Had a little unfriendly guest." Cho said weakly. "Don't worry. I just need to sit down. I'll be alright." The world suddenly began to spin and a sudden darkness enveloped her.

_**XXX**_

_**Until Next Chapter!!!**_


	14. Things Only Get Worst

Things Only Get Worst 

Neville shook his head in awe. "You really took that on?" He glanced to Cho, who was gingerly sitting upon the marble floor.

"Yeah, it was fun too." She replied.

Neville glanced at her. The wounds had been healed as much as he could heal them. He suspected they still caused Cho pain, but she wasn't saying anything. She had been a bit quiet as to what had happened to her, only saying she had fought another beast. Cho looked at the creature bobbing in the water and shook his head again.

"It's cold beyond the door." Cho said.

Neville glanced across the pool of hot water, the wooden door stood gaping open. Even with the door directly across from him, he could still feel a cool wind coming in. The steam rising off the pool swirled around, momentarily blocking out the view of the door. Neville sighed. They'd have to walk through the water and then go dripping to where ever the new hall led.

Would every step be met by monsters and creatures that were out to kill them? Neville clenched his hand around his candlestick. Would they be attacked around every corner? Neville glanced toward Cho, she sat with her eyes closed and arms wrapped around her knees. How much more could they take? Gingerly he touched the bruise across his face, which was one wound they still couldn't heal.

If there were monsters around every turn, then the chance that they'd get hurt would keep increasing. Already they had battled two. One had torn up Cho's back and the new one had torn up her legs. Neville didn't know much about healing, but he knew that to repair the wounds it took energy. From the body and from the person casting the spell.

They hadn't had anything for what Neville assumed was several days now. He knew his own stomach was growling and all he could fill it with was water. He didn't know how Cho was doing, or Damon or that matter. How long would they last only on water? Days, weeks?

Neville crouched before Cho, settling a hand upon her shoulder. Cho looked at him questioningly, her eyes red rimmed and not hiding the exhaustion she was obviously feeling. She had only taken a short nap after he had healed her, waking half an hour later gasping in fear. "How are you doing?" Neville asked.

Cho glanced toward the door. "I'm well enough." She responded simply, then she gave a forced smile. "We make a good team, y'know." She suddenly said. "You with your head of steel and me with my hands of iron." She laughed mirthlessly at her joke.

"What about Damon?" Neville asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, he's got a spine of jelly." She said, smiling tightly.

"Good. If you had given him a compliment then I would have been worried about you." Neville grinned. He glanced to where Damon was sitting near the pool, bound and gagged, and now hobbled by Cho's suggestion. He saw Neville looking at him and glared back. It seemed he was now reserving his glares and cursing for Neville instead of Cho. "Do you want to rest? The door's not going anywhere and all we have is time."

Cho shook her head. "We'll rest when we're back home." Cho responded. She held out her hand, Neville took it and pulled her to her feet. "Do or die, remember?"

"Do or die." Neville muttered, glancing at the door.

"Come. Let's untie Damon. I don't think he'll be able to swim across the pool and I'm not pulling him up on the other side." Cho said.

"No. we have to be more careful in dealing with him. You go on ahead, I'll untie him. You head for the door, I'll bring up the rear. That way if he tries to make a run for it, we'll both be able to stop him."

Cho thought on that for a moment and then nodded, then glanced at the water. "If not for the monsters and the possibility of being attacked, it would have been a good opportunity to take a bath. A couple of bubble tablets and some soft music, that'd be nice." Neville looked at her questioningly. Cho laughed and shook her head. "Ignore me. I'm rambling." She cleared her throat. "Time to head out?"

Neville nodded. "Lead the way, fearless leader."

Cho gave a snort. "You mean bait." She jumped into the water and began trudging toward the door.

Neville crouched before Damon. "Leave the gag on. I'm going to untie your feet and hands. Once we're across the water, we'll be tying you back up. Try anything stupid, then you'll be left behind." Neville warned. Damon only glared at him. Neville ignored that and began untying Damon's hobble.

"Neville!" Cho suddenly yelled in alarm. Neville jumped to his feet and looked toward Cho and then at the door where she was pointing.

"Great." Neville muttered grabbing his candlestick. "Get out of the water, Cho!"

it was another of the creature Cho had killed. Short legged, pug faced, and sharp clawed and toothed. Neville watched helplessly as Cho plunged frantically back toward him. The creature stood at the door, mouth open and narrow forked tongue flicking out. It let out a shrill cry and looked directly at Cho, then it jumped.

"Get down!" Neville yelled, plunging into the pool and toward Cho.

Cho turned around, wand raised, but the creature was too fast. Cho let out a terrible scream and they both plunged into the water. Neville shouted and moved as fast as he could toward her.

With another yell Neville smashed the candlestick into the exposed back of the monster. It roared and it's wicked jaws snapped at him. Neville smashed the candlestick at it's face. This time the creature let out a yelp and Neville managed to shove it off of Cho. He reached down and pulled Cho out of the water, she gasped and leaned heavily against him.

She shoved her wand into his hand. "I can't." She muttered. Neville looked down and saw the water turning pick around her. Neville grabbed the wand, shoving the candlestick into his pocket and dragging her back toward the other edge. The creature on the other hand shook itself and began after them.

Neville pointed the wand at it. "Petrificus Totalus!" Neville shouted. The creature suddenly went stiff as it leaped. It splashed into the water near the two, sinking like a stone. Neville turned and began pulling Cho.

Neville dragged her upon the marble floor and tore open the robes around her waist. Blood was welling up from several punctures in her abdomen. Neville remember the long claws of the creature. He aimed the wand at her wounds.

"Watch out!" Damon suddenly yelled.

Neville whirled around and saw the creature flying toward him. He grunted in pain as it collided with him. The wand clattered out of his hands. Neville's shoulder viciously smacked against the hard marble, causing him to let out a cry of pain. The creature skidded upon the wet marble floor, trying to gain purchase on the smooth stone. Neville quickly got to his knees and glanced toward Cho. She was curled into a ball, hands clutched around her injured middle. Neville then shot a glance to Damon who was frantically trying to untie the bounds holding his hands. The wand was nowhere to be found.

The candlestick was still in his pocket, Neville pulled it out and faced the creature who had gained control of its skidding and prepared to attack him. Neville let out a frustrated yell. Would the monsters stop? The creature leapt at him and the tow of them crashed along the ground, snarls of anger and hate coming from a ball of robes and claws.

Neville yelled in rage and smashed the candlestick up and down into the creature's face. It wouldn't' stop. T he monsters wouldn't stop coming. There would always be one more behind the next. One more waiting to kill them. There was no escape from this place.

Neville staggered back, panting heavily and staring that the creature that lay motionless before him. It gave a shudder and then lay still, it's dark, almost black blood pooling beneath it. It stood out in stark contrast to the pure with of the marble floor. Neville stared at it and felt nothing but weariness. How many more were coming?

There was the familiar clatter of claws upon marble. Neville sighed and got to his feet, watching as another creature paced along the edge of the pool, looking at Neville and then Damon and the Cho. Neville gripped the candlestick and walked toward it.

"Crucio!" The creature suddenly fell to the floor, letting out an ear splitting scream. Neville watched in horror and it continued to spasm and cry out in pain, after a long and terrible moment it shuddered and lay still.

Death by Cruciatus Curse. Neville shuddered. He turned to see Damon untied and holding Cho's wand. A look of pure satisfaction was pasted on his face. Neville watched him for a moment.

"Give me the wand. I have to heal Cho." Neville said, holding his hand out.

Damon turned to him and then laughed. "Go to hell, kid." He pointed the wand at Neville.

_**XXX**_

_**Until Next Chapter!!!**_


	15. Revenge, Best Served Hot

**_Ah, a new chapter. The story continues and our heroes face trials and tribulations._**

_**XXX**_

**Revenge, Best Served Hot**

Damon laughed as Neville took a step back, his hands up. "What was it you called me? Spineless? Cowardly?" He eyed Neville, mock shock upon his face. "Come now. Vat got your tongue? A few moments ago you were pointing out all my faults and character flaws. What's the matter now?" He said when Neville didn't respond to his taunting.

Neville was quiet. He glanced to Cho, who was lying unconscious upon the marble floor. He didn't know if it was because of the water or her wounds, but a pool of red was forming beneath her. The sight caused a lump of cold to form in his middle. "Heal Cho." Neville said.

"To hell with Cho." Damon snapped. He glared in her direction, knuckles around the wand going white. "You two little bastards have given me hell these past two days. I think it's time for a little pay back."

"Please. Heal Cho." Neville pleadingly.

Damon eyed Neville again, lip curling into a sneer. "Beg for it." He grinned.

Immediately Neville dropped to his knees and clasped his hands before him. "Please. Please, heal Cho." He whispered.

Damon snarled. "What? No resistance? No strong words?"

"Please, just heal her." Neville said again.

Damon let out a grunt of frustration. "You're no fun. You just gave in too easily. You're supposed to resist, to say you'll never beg. Instead you just give up." He snapped, suddenly moving toward Neville.

"We'll if I can't have that, then there's other ways of getting revenge." Neville looked up to see Damon's foot smash down upon him. The pain was intense. Neville cried out, trying to move out of the way, but the second blow came upon the heels of the first, then the next, and the next, and the next. Damon stepped back, panting slightly and still glaring. "I'd kill you two, but what's the point? You'll both be dead in a matter of minutes anyway. I'll just leave you here and let the baddies have their way with you." He laughed, waving Cho's wand. "But first there are a few things I just have to have." Neville couldn't resist as Damon leaned forward and yanked the Map from his pocket. Damon looked down at it. "Doesn't seem to work in here, but Sammy's gonna love this when we get out." He shoved it into an invisible pocket. he leaned forward again and pulled the candlestick out. Laughing he tossed it over his shoulder and Neville heard it as it clattered across the floor.

Damon looked down at Neville for a moment and then crouched before him, still grinning. "I'll tell you this, kid. You and your little girlfriend are getting off easy. At least here you'll die quickly." Damon chuckled. "I can't say that for the rest of your little friends back at Hogwarts. Once Sammy-boy gets the Well open, that whole damn school's going to become a bloodbath to end all bloodbaths and I'll enjoy watching every damn moment of it." Damon leaned forward, shoving Cho's wand under Neville's chin. " I think I'll pay a little visit to your red headed friend. What was her name? Ginny?" Damon chuckled. "I'm sure we'll have a swell ti-"

Suddenly something smashed into his shoulder. Damon cried out in pain, toppling into Neville. Neville immediately began grappling for the wand, but Damon was larger and heavier and stronger. There was another burst of pain and Neville's head snapped back as Damon's fist struck out. Neville still clung to the wand determinedly and was rewarded with another strike. There was a flash of darkness, but Neville continued to hold on.

Damon roared and tore his hand out of Neville's grip, skidding back a few paces upon the wet floor. Neville groaned, shakily rising to his knees. He could feel blood running from his broken nose, teeth that seemed looser than they had been before, and the skin of his face throbbing with punishment. He briefly wondered how more bruised his face could get.

"Leave him alone." A weak voice gasped. Neville looked up to see Cho sitting a few feet away. She did not look well, her skin was shallow, Her breathing was slow and labored, a bloodied hand was clutched to her middle, and her dark eyes stared unfocusedly at Damon.

Damon spat, wiping away a line of blood from his lip. He got to his feet, glaring at Neville and Cho. "You never know when to give up do you?" He snarled. "Acting the bloody hero all the bloody time." He walked to Cho, crouching down before her. Cho tried to strike at him, but her slow moving arm was easily caught by Damon. He gripped it tightly, causing Cho to gasp in pain. "You know what happens to bloody heroes?" His fist struck out and Cho fell to the floor, eyes rolling back. Neville snarled and clamored to his feet, but Damon was ready.

"Crucio!"

Neville crashed to the floor, screaming in terrible agony. His back arched, his fingers curled into his palms, and his screams echoed across the Sauna. White hot fire danced upon every nerve of his body, seemingly growing every second until everything was awash in unending pain. After an eternity the pain lessened, only to begin again, stronger and longer than the one before.

"You're a tough kid, Neville." Damon said, crouching down before him. Neville tried focusing his eyes, but they wouldn't respond to his commands. Nothing was responding to his commands, his limbs lay heavy at his side. "If you weren't so polluted with the ideals of doing the right thing and standing up all the time, you'd make a good servant for the Heir. As it is, you're just a hassle that needs to be dealt with." Damon laughed again. "Don't worry, as I said before. I'm not going to kill you, even though you deserve it. I'll leave that to the uglies around here." Damon got to his feet, rubbing his palms together. "Well, gotta go. Sammy's probably almost finished with what we came here to do and I don't want to miss all the fun."

He gave Neville a parting shot. Neville couldn't do much to resist, his limbs still unresponsive. Damon laughed once more before walking to Cho and grabbing the collar of her robes. Neville watched in horror as he dragged her to the pool and slid her into it. A moment later her jumped in after her, wading toward the door.

Neville didn't see Cho rise back up from the water.

_**XXX**_

_**Until Next Chapter!!!**_


	16. In The Chamber Of Bone

_Another? Gasp! Read and review._

_**XXX**_

**In the Chamber of Bone**

Neville crawled frantically. His fingers slipping and grasping at the tiles in the floor and trying desperately to pull himself along. She hadn't come up. The whine of panic within him was growing and Neville moved as fast as his rebelling legs and arms could propel him. Pain flared with every muscle moved, blood dripped from broken skin, and the wet floor did nothing to help him.

The water was hotter than he thought, searing across his flesh forcing him to let out a yelp of pain. He splashed toward the cloud of pink that surrounded Cho and plunged downward grabbing limbs and robes. Muscles strained and pain crawled though him as Neville pulled Cho's limp body out of the water.

Cho let out a gasping breath, coughing up water and shuddering with pain. Relief flushed though Neville as he pulled himself out of the pool. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at Neville, her head raising weakly. Neville gripped her hand and pulled himself toward her.

"What?" She asked weakly.

"We got to stop getting hurt." Neville said, grinning weakly. He grabbed the bandages that had been used to bind Damon and tore the front of Cho's robe open. "Oh, sweet Merlin." Neville muttered, wrapping the bandages around her stomach. Blood was flowing in small trickles down her skin, bright crimson upon her pale skin. Oh Merlin, there was so much blood.

"Get the wand." Cho said, her hand grabbing Neville's shoulder.

"You're bleeding." Neville said. 'We have to stop the bleeding."

"Get the wand back. Then you can heal me." Cho whispered.

"No." Neville said firmly. "I'm not leaving you hear. Not like this. Not with those monsters out there."

"Do it, Neville. You have to." There was a firmness in Cho's voice. Neville clenched his eyes shut. She was right. They needed the wand. It was the only thing that could heal her. Neville tied off the bandages and looked down at his hands. They were smeared pink. He hastily wiped them upon his shirt, feeling a sudden chill.

Neville glanced around. The door was open and Damon was no where to be seen. Who knows what lay beyond the door? Neville got up and picked the candlestick Damon had tossed away off the floor. He let out a desolate chuckle. A candlestick wasn't a weapon. Yet it hadn't failed him yet. Neville gripped the smooth metal, it felt hot under his hands.

"I won't be gone long." Neville whispered, grabbing the blanket and covering Cho with it. 'I'll be back. I'll get the wand." The last part was more for himself than to comfort Cho.

Cho nodded weakly and her eyes closed, her breathing becoming regular. Neville held her hand for a moment and then let out a breath of anger. Monsters of all sorts, shapes, forms, and demeanors.

Neville splashed into the pool and waded to the door.

XXX

"Incendio!" Damon cried and was rewarded with a scream of pain and the wafting stench of burning flesh. He moved out fo the way of the barreling monster and his wand flicked out to the second one coming at him. "Sever." The monster let out a gargle and tumbled to the floor, it's body going to separate ways.

Damon nodded to himself in satisfaction. Two dead monsters in two seconds. He took the moment to glance back down the long narrow corridor he had just exited from. It was dark, just as most of the corridors, halls, and chambers he had entered. He didn't really know where he was going, but there was really no way to get lost. All the halls, corridors, and chambers had one entrance and once exit. They were leading somewhere and Damon was positive that it would be the exit.

No one may have exited the Dark, but Damon was determined that he'd be the first one. He'd get back to the world and he'd watch Hogwarts burn. Nodding to himself Damon began heading down a wide corridor.

XXX

Neville gasped for breath, leaning against the wall of the corridor. He squinted to the ground a head of him. The light was dim, but he was beginning to make things out. Two dead monsters, one charred with the smell still heavy in the air and the other…

Neville shook his head. Damon did this?

Neville felt a shiver of fear. Was he foolish to try and take him on? He had a wand, while he had a what? Candlestick? He was a Death Eater, he probably knew all sorts of spells, curses, and hexes that dwarfed anything he knew. For a moment Neville was plagued by doubt, but the image of Cho flashed in his mind and he clenched his fists. There was no choice. He had to do this. For Cho.

XXX

Damon limped into the chamber, the last monster had been a hassle. A creature of tentacles and snapping jaws and waving feelers. More ugly than dangerous. Though the floor had been covered n small pieces of rocks that just had to be sharp and pointy, definitely not the best ground to be walking upon when one didn't wear any shoes.

Damon looked around and sighed. The chamber was huge, it's corners covered in darkness and as always with a ceiling that stretched upward forever. There were piles of white sticks laying scattered about in heaps and piles. Damon walked to one and frowned.

An empty eyed grinning skull stared up at him sitting atop a shattered ribcage. Damon nudged it with his feet. The skull was old and brittle and it toppled off its perch and clattered to the stone floor. Damon jerked back in surprise, glancing around to make sure his momentary fear hadn't been seen. He crouched and picked up the skull to peer at it closer, he noticed it had deep gouges upon it. Gouges that looked suspiciously like teeth marks of something that had a taste for human flesh.

Damon cursed, dropping the skull and pulling out Cho's wand, and then scanning the dark corners. He was really getting sick of monsters. They were easy to deal with in their own way, they died like any other creature. There was nothing special about them. He glanced around and noticed more and more piles of bones and skulls. Whatever this monster was, it seemed to be doing brisk business in human lives.

A twinge of worry and fear bothered Damon, but he pushed it away. Fear only got in the way. What ever this damn thing was, he'd deal with it. He'd kill it and he'd get the hell out of this place.

"Come on you bastard." Damon shouted to the dark corners. "Let's get this show over so I can get out of here."

There was a clatter of bones and the sounds of booted feet upon rough stone. Damon looked to where he had entered the room and sighed as a figure emerged.

Neville stumbled into the room, the candlestick held firmly in his hands and his face streaked with sweat and the look of pain etched upon his features. " I was hoping for the element of surprise." He gasped, standing up straight.

Damon laughed shaking his head. "Damn kid, you just don't give up do you?" he pointed the wand at Neville. 'I guess this time I'll just have to kill you."

Neville stared at him, his features expressionless and his grip tightening upon the candlestick. "I'd worry about the monster behind you first." He responded.

"You little bloody-" Damon stopped, the sound of scraping claws and growling filling the air. Damon turned. "Oh, bloody hell."

**XXX**

**Until Next Chapter!!!**


	17. To Battle The Beast II

_Longest chapter in this story… I'm so proud of myself._

_XXX_

To Battle the Beast II 

"Immobulus." Damon cried, dodging out of the way. Neville watched as the spell hit the monster but it seemed to do nothing to stop or slow it down. Sharp talons smashed into the place Damon had stood moments before, screeching loudly and leaving furrows in the stone.

Neville dodged behind a pile of bones, shuddering as he brushed against them. The remains of humans, people once living and breathing, scattered about as if they were nothing more than sticks. Neville avoided touching them, craning his neck to see that Damon running away from his direction.

The monster roared, it's skull white head tilting back and huge jaw filled with needle sharp teeth parting. Neville stared at it in fascinated horror. The monster was man shaped and man sized, if a man were skeletally thin and tall. Neville guessed the monster stood about six and a half feet, from taloned feet to horn rimmed bleach white skull. It's long thin arms reached to the floor and Neville watched as it moved about in a half swinging, half running motion, right after Damon.

Neville watched as it's long swinging strides were quickly gaining upon Damon who was now being lost in the dark of the chamber. Neville glanced about and spotted something. Beneath a pile of bones and a skull that looked at him with empty sockets, lay a dull gleaming object. Neville kicked aside the bones and grunted in satisfaction as he lifted up a heavy metal sword.

He ran his gaze along it. Swords weren't something he was familiar with, but he could tell the blade wasn't in good condition. The metal was tarnished, the edges nicked and scored with age, and as he ran a hand along the blade, dull as a club. Though it felt heavy and solid in his grip, plus it had a longer range than the candlestick. Neville nodded to himself, shoving his candlestick into his pocket and looking around for Damon.

A shouted curse and flash of light showed where he was. Neville took a deep breath and headed toward the monster and Damon. The monster was terrifying and vicious looking, but Neville wasn't here to fight the monster. He was here for the wand and that was all. Get the wand and get back to Cho. She was what mattered here.

Neville strode through the piles of bones with trepidation, trying to look in every direction to see if anything was coming at him. There seemed to be no other monsters around and there were no other sounds than the occasional roar from the monster and Damon's yelling of curses and spells. Both of which seemed to be getting closer and closer.

Damon suddenly stumbled into view, fear and terror plainly visible on his face. He staggered a few steps before crashing onto his face into a pile of brittle bones, moments later something large and white landed upon him. Neville watched in horror as the monster rammed a clawed hand through Damon's shoulder, hard nails scraping upon stone beneath Damon. Neville acted, not pausing for a moment to think, instead crossing the short span of space between Damon and him, the sword in his hands swinging in wide double-handed blow.

Neville felt the impact from his toes to his loosen teeth as steel and bone connected. It rocked up his arms and sent a wave of pain across old hurts. But the resistance suddenly ended and Neville toppled forward, tripping over Damon and smashing into the monster. The sounds of screaming from both man and monster filling his ears as he scrambled to his feet.

Something hard and sharp hit him in his side and sent Neville sprawling across the floor, the sword clattering from his hand. Neville ignored the flaring pain in his side and grabbed for the sword lying upon the stones. He heard a roar as his fingers clamped around the hilt and swung it in a blind strike, getting rewarded with another thudding shock through his arm.

There was a crash and Neville turned to see the monster trying to get to it's feet as it lay in a pile of bones. Neville took the opportunity to get to his feet, and look for Damon. He was also getting to his feet, blood running down his ruined left shoulder and his wand shakily pointing toward the monster. Lying at his feet Neville noticed the arm that had pinned Damon down, ending at one of the knobby joints. Neville cast a glance a the monster and saw that it was missing a limb.

"Avada Kedavra!" Damon screamed. Neville gaped and felt a sudden rushing feeling as a wave of green light flashed from the wand. The Killing Curse, Neville thought frantically, just before throwing himself into a pile of bones to get out of the way.

The monster screamed again, thrashing upon the floor. Neville stared at it horrified. The Killing Curse was supposed to kill, but the monster was still definitely alive. Damon too was staring at it in horror, screaming the curse again. Again, another wave of green slashed into the monster, but to no effect beyond causing the monster to scream. Damon cursed at the monster, a non magical one, and then turned and ran into the darkness.

Neville picked himself up out of the pile of bones and quickly crossed the short distance to the monster, smashing down his sword into the creature. Dull steel shattered rock hard bone and the blade sank into the monster with a horrible feeling resistance. Pain exploded in Neville's side and he topple to the floor, crying out in agony. Another blow landed and Neville staggered away, the only thought of fleeing filing his mind.

He collapsed to the floor, pain still roaring in his side. He reached down and felt a sticky wetness. He was bleeding.

The monster rose to its feet, the sword still sticking out of its chest. With a rough tug and the sound of cracking bone the dull blade was pulled out. The monster roared and smashed it against the stone floor, there was a loud snap and the sword broke into two. Neville felt a wave of dread as he crawled to his feet. It was the end now. So much for trying to help Cho.

The monster roared at Neville , but suddenly it turned and began running after Damon. Neville stood there for a moment and then shook his head, a sudden wave of relief flooding him. He knew he should leave, to run while he had the chance, but instead he began following the monster. Cho needed the wand and Damon had it, the monster was chasing Damon.

Neville hurried after them, his hand clutched to his side. The pain kept spreading, along with the wetness that Neville didn't want to think about. Getting the wand was all that mattered now. Get the wand, get back to Cho. Get the wand. But the wand didn't seem to work against the monster. He'd seen Damon use it on the monster and nothing had happened. Could the creature be resistant against magic?

Suddenly an ear splitting scream filled the air. Neville stopped and then began running, the scream was human and it sounded like Damon was in trouble. Neville began running toward the screaming, but it seemed like days before he got close, but by then the screams had stopped and silence descended upon the chamber. Neville dodged piles of bones and came across a scene that would have emptied his stomach if there was anything left in it.

The monster was tearing at Damon and so much liquid black covered the stones. Neville looked away gagging and suddenly feeling very weak.

The monster's too large head snapped to Neville and it roared again, suddenly speeding across the distance between them in a heartbeat. Neville staggered back as a heavy clawed hand swiped at him. Neville felt his shirt tear and the sudden searing pain as sharp claws scraped across his chest.

Neville pulled away his hand and saw that it was covered in his own blood. The pain in his side was burning hot now and the monster was making a slow circle around Neville as he staggered to his feet. It's playing with me. Neville thought watching as the monster took a few half hearted swipes at him. Staring at the monster Neville realized he felt nothing. No hate, no anger, no desolation, just emptiness.

He fumbled at his robes, his bloodied hand grabbing hold of the candlestick in his pocket. He gasped in more in shock than pain as his fingers wrapped around the metal, he yanked out the candlestick and saw that it was glowing. He didn't understand as to why it was glowing now or why it hadn't before.

Neville looked down at his hand and saw that his own blood was smeared across the meal of the candlestick. Blood? Neville shook his head, he'd never heard of anything magical using blood to function. Definitely not a damned candlestick, but as he looked down at it he could not deny that it was using some kind of magic. The candlestick was growing hotter in his hands, then suddenly a jet of white flame burst from the tip.

Neville let out a cry of shock as six inches of white hot fire lanced out of the candlestick. The monster roared at Neville and to his surprise it backed off. Neville glanced back down at the flame and then suddenly grinned. The monster was scared of fire, he thought.

Neville looked about and saw a pile of old tattered cloth wrapped about a pile of bones. He ignored the thought that he was digging though a person's body, that the cloth he was yanking off of the bones had once been clothes upon a living person. He wrapped the old cloth around a bone and set it on fire, waving it above his head. The monster continued to back off, hisses and roars of anger coming off of it.

The candlestick was beginning to get very hot and Neville could feel the skin on his hand beginning to hurt as heat from the fire scorched his skin. He couldn't let it go though, it was his only weapon. Neville looked around and backed toward Damon's lifeless body. He still needed to get the wand; the wand and Cho were the main things. The monster could be taken care of later. For now there was Cho to worry about.

As if realizing what he was trying to do, the monster suddenly attacked. Neville tried dodging, but the flaming torch and the candlestick hampered his movements. The monster collided with him, the torch falling away, but the candlestick still clutched grimly in his right hand.

The monster's jaws snapped inches away from Neville's face, splashing it with salvia and the fetid stench of its breath. Neville smashed the candlestick flame first into the abdomen of the monster and got rewarded with a howl of pain. The monster suddenly tried backing off, it's clawed feet skidding upon the blackness upon the floor. The monster crashed to the floor and Neville slammed the candlestick into the jaw of the monster. The sickening stench of charred flesh and bone filled his lungs and the screaming howls of the monster buffeted his ears. Neville hung on grimly, ignoring the terrible slashing of claws upon his arms and back.

The monster's struggling slowed and then finally stopped. Neville toppled off the monster and crashed to the floor, gasping for breath and shuddering with spent adreniline. Pain flared through every part of his body, hot and searing. Muscles ached with terrible pain from his head to his toes, even his hair tingled with pain.

After a few moments Neville got to his feet, glancing away from the ruined body of Damon and the monster. He looked down at the candlestick and saw that it was out. The white flame no longer lit. He crouched down before it, wincing as pain seared up his legs and arms and side. The blood upon the metal was dried and flaking, looking more like rust than blood. Neville wiped his hands and picked up the candlestick, it was warm, but nothing else.

He shoved it into his pocket and turned to the Damon. For the first time he was glad he hadn't had anything to eat in the past two days, or else it would have all came back up. He easily found the wand; it's smooth wood gleaming not far from Damon's hands. Neville also shoved that into his pocket. He stood there for a moment and then remembered the Map Damon had taken.

Digging through the tattered and soaked invisible robes was not something Neville enjoyed. But he found a pocket and pulled out the piece of parchment, along with several coins, a small mirror, and another piece of parchment. Neville shoved them into his pocket, later he could figure out what they were. For now he had the wand, the monster was dead, Damon was dead, and Cho needed to be healed.

Neville got to his feet with a groan and began looking for where he had entered the chamber from. Then something else caught his eye. Across the chamber there was a growing light. Neville reached for his wand, but then stared as he saw something he almost had forgotten about.

Sunlight and a way out.

_**XXX**_

_**Until Next Chapter!!! **_

_**(Almost done kiddies)**_


	18. Back In The World

**Back in the World**

The sun was setting to the west, a clear bright evening with the hard pinpricks of stars shining above a deep violet horizon. There had been some rough weather earlier in the day, but the winds had pushed the threatening clouds farther east and left the grounds of Hogwarts in a nice day, a soft breeze blowing from the west and the fresh smell of grass and turned earth heavy in the air.

Students were heading back to the castle as the sun began to set. Dinner was being served and after a hard day of enjoying a break from school they were all filing into the Great Hall. The flushed and excited air that had been brought in from a day spent outside was immediately smothered as students began filling the Great Hall. Professors stood at their seats at the head tables, causing a small stir. Usually the professors didn't eat with the students during the weekends, but after what happened during breakfast, no one was asking why they were there

Many faces were missing from the all the house tables, many sat with sober faces and a few were gingerly moving about. Bandages hiding slaves and newly healed injuries. Not all were from what everyone was calling the Battle of the Great Hall, the Slytherin Quidditch team had its own run ins with the rough weather. Three students sat nursing newly healed arms after they had collided in a training exercise.

Luna Lovegood scanned the tables and noted all those that were missing. Surprisingly there was almost no one missing from Ravenclaw, which she found kind of disappointing. The only face that was missing was Cho Chang and no one knew where she had gotten off to. No one had seen her since the morning and people were beginning to worry as she hadn't arrived for lunch and now dinner. There was also a rumor going around that Neville Longbottom was also missing. The two rumors themselves were causing a little stir and worry. The stir was from a minority who were saying Neville and Cho had run off together, but Luna dismissed that. Did Neville even know Cho? The larger rumor was that Cho and Neville had been kidnapped and that was causing a lot of worry from many of the students.

Try as she might, Luna hadn't been able to get in touch with anyone, Ron, Harry, or Ginny. The Hospital Wing was locked down, no one going in unless they had business there. She knew that Ron hadn't left the Hospital since Ginny had been taken there. Harry on the other hand wasn't to be found anywhere. It was said that he had been locked away with McGonagall for hours after the minor injures he had suffered were healed. Rumors were flying about that he was going to be kicked out of Hogwarts to he had dropped out and fled the school. No one knew and the rumors kept growing more ridiculous every hour.

Luna sat at her table, stirring the pea soup set before her. Things were happening, Luna could almost feel it. Something was about to happen and she didn't know what she could do.

A lot of things had been happening in the last few weeks. Harry had been in and out of the Hospital Wing, Hermione was still being held there, unconscious. Ginny had been taken there during the Battle of the Great Hall, attacked by who no one knew. Now Neville was missing. Things were happening.

Suddenly there was a shrill scream, echoing loudly in the entrance hall. Immediately the low buzz of conversation died and all heads turned to the Great Hall entrance. Luna was one of the first to her feet and heading for the entrance. After a moment so did everyone.

Professors began shouting to clear the way. Luna skidded to a stop as she entered the entrance hall, staring in horror.

Several other students were gathered, three female students also staring in horror and one still screaming. No one was doing anything, they were all just standing there and staring. Luna rushed to the two figures lying upon the marble floor, pulling back tattered robes and revealing a face.

She held back her gasp of surprise as Neville peered up at her. The whole side of his face darkened with a massive bruise, his eyes fluttered open and stared at her. He reached out his hands and Luna grabbed it instinctively. His grip was weak and his hands shook in hers.

"Cho. She's hurt. Help her." Neville croaked and then let out a sigh of breath, eyes closing.

Luna stared at her hands, they was smeared with blood. As she looked around she saw blood pooling beneath the two. The screaming still rang in the entrance hall.

_**XXX**_

_**Until Next Chapter!!!**_


	19. Nefarious Plans in Motion

Nefarious Plans In Motion 

It was cold and it was dark. A solitary candle burned before a figure sitting with his back against the wall. The person had their head bowed and the gleam of wood from a wand reflected off the floor before him. To his left lay a five small bundles wrapped in black cloth and to his right sat a half full cup of dark wine.

Another figure approached, the sounds of booted feet upon loose rock echoing loudly in the chamber. The candle fluttered for a moment, then steadied, illuminating a tall figure in a black cloak. The new arrival pulled the cloak off and crouched before the bowed man.

The candle showed a hard scared face of a man in his middle age. A close cropped beard peppered with gray covered his face and dark eyes stared at the other man. He sat there for a moment, only the sounds of breathing and the creak of leather filling the space.

"It's done, Samuel." The arrival said, his voice low and rumbling. "Alex and the others are ready."

Cold gray eyes looked up to the arrival. Samuel's face was expressionless and empty. "Any word of Damon's whereabouts, Able?" He asked after a moment.

"Nothing, Samuel." Able responded.

There were the sounds of clattering stones and heavy breathing coming from the darkness. Another figure approached, a slim woman with dark hair and violet eyes. She brushed back a lock of hair and glanced at Samuel and Able.

"Bad news, Sammy." The woman said, crouching down beside Able, her movements smooth and graceful. The candle flame didn't even stir. "Looks like the kid and the girl showed up. Minus Damon."

Samuel stared at the candle. "Is he dead?" He asked.

The woman shrugged. "They all fell into the Dark. The two kids came back. My guess is Damon's so much worm food." The woman replied.

"How many know of this?" Samuel asked.

The woman glanced at Able and shrugged again. "I was skirting the Great Hall in cloak to see what the Professors were talking about. I heard a scream and the two kids showed up, collapsing dramatically in the entrance hall." The woman explained. "I was the only one assigned to the Great Hall and I came here as soon as I came. I didn't tell anyone beyond you and Able here."

"Keep that information to yourself, Lilith." Samuel said. Lilith nodded, understanding the unsaid threat. Samuel looked back at the candle. "How longs before we can begin?" Samuel asked.

"We got the damned thing uncovered. Henna and Bryson are mapping out the charts. Say in about a day or more." Lilith replied.

Samuel nodded, rising smoothly to his feet. "We've been wasting enough time. It's time to open the Well." The two nodded and followed Samuel, leaving the candle burning. After a moment the candle fluttered and then went out.

"Pity the damn kids." Lilith muttered.

_**XXX**_

**_Awww…this is the last chapter!!!_**


	20. Author's Afterward

**Author's Afterward**

Well, well, well. It is done, alas.

What can I say? It was a blast writing this story, though I thought that it did get a little cheesy toward the end. I can't help but put characters into truly horrific and painful situations.

Two months. I can't say that I'm proud of that, but I did take a whole month off in the middle of the story. But two months is better than the three months it took to write Everything Falls Apart, so it's an improvement and this story was almost as long Everything Falls Apart, so I'm happy. Strangely I've been averaging about 24000 word s story, expect for Ignorance is Bliss, which was only 12500.

"Now what?" You ask, realizing that I'm ending one story and still have a lot of plot lines left unfinished.

Well, stay tuned for the next great adventure in my Harry Potter series. I'm done abusing Cho and Neville for now. It's time to turn out attentions to our other heroes and heroines. (_If you hadn't realized this, only about twelve hours passed between the end of Everything Falls Apart to when Cho and Neville get back. How? You ask, you'll find out later. I say.)_ Nefarious plans are in motion, Dumbledore is gone, half our heroes are injured, fear and worry plague the school. If you want to find out what happens, then read:

HARRY POTTER: THE WELL OF SORROWS 

I like the title for some reason, though I think it's giving away too much.  
The story will probably be revolving mainly around Harry, Ron, Luna and the Invisibles.

So if you haven't gotten sick of my stories read the new story. It'll make your new year!

Until nest time and the next story,

Xero Mind


End file.
